A fisherman was shot dead allegedly by the Border Security Force, or BSF, personnel near the India-Bangladesh border at Mankachar, in the South Salmara district of Assam, last night. An investigation has been launched by the Assam Police. The Public Relations Officer of BSF's Guwahati frontier was unavailable for comment at the time of filing this report.
Tension prevailed in the district over the killing and security has been tightened in the border villages, police said. District officials claimed that it may have been a case of mistaken identity, with the BSF personnel suspecting the fisherman to be a smuggler.
According to police sources, in Mankachar's Gudoli village, barely 500 metres from the India-Bangladesh border, a man was found lying with bullet wounds. The injured was identified as Monirujjaman, a local fisherman. He succumbed to his injuries while being taken to hospital.
"The family members of the victim have alleged that he was killed in BSF firing, but BSF will confirm it only after the inquiry is complete. We are yet to find out whether the man killed was a fisherman or a smuggler. One fishing instrument and a torch light have been recovered from the person killed," said Saifur Ali, BSF DSP, South Salmara.
Residents of Gudoli village claimed that Monirujjaman went fishing at night when he was gunned down by BSF personnel on patrol.
"People heard gunshots and rushed to the spot to find Monirujjaman lying injured with bullet wounds. He died on the way to hospital," a villager told reporters.
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