BSF Constable Arrested for Allegedly Aiding Bangladeshi Nationals' Illegal Entry

After allegedly aiding two Bangladeshi nationals in their attempt to enter India covertly, BSF troops from Hakimpur in North 24-Parganas apprehended a Border Security Force constable.

A political controversy erupted as soon as the BSF constable was detained near the porous India-Bangladesh border, which stretches over 4,000 km, of which over 2200 km are in Bengal. The constable was accused of supporting illegal immigration.

Bangladeshi infiltration is a thorny political issue that the BJP frequently uses to attack the Trinamul government in Bengal. On this occasion, though, the defendant is a paramilitary member.

On a border road close to the Hakimpur check post on Thursday, a BSF patrolling team apprehended Pradip Ghosh, 30, a constable with the Tripura-based 199th battalion, along with two Bangladeshi nationals who had allegedly entered the country through a porous stretch of the border with the assistance of some touts who make a living by facilitating illegal immigration, according to a BSF source.

Along a border road in the Bithari-Hakimpur panchayat, Ghosh was riding a scooter with the two people riding on the back when the patrolling team of the BSF's 112th battalion came across them.

According to a source, "Ghosh produced documents to prove his identity, but the other two didn't have any proof to prove they were Indian."

Later, the BSF officials turned over Ghosh and the two—Hanif Hosain and Sumati Biswas—along with a formal complaint to the Swarupnagar police.

According to a Swarupnagar police officer, Ghosh assisted the Bangladeshi nationals in breaking into India illegally, as per the complaint made by BSF authorities.

Officials from the Frontier headquarters in Calcutta and the BSF in Basirhat could not be contacted for comments regarding the arrest, despite several attempts.

The accused BSF cop's father, Bharat Ghosh, declined to comment on the matter.

Ghosh, a resident of Swarupdaha village in Swarupnagar who is posted in Tripura, returned home last week for a vacation, according to local sources.

Following the start of an investigation by the police, the Ghosh and the couple were brought before the Basirhat additional chief judicial magistrate's court and placed under judicial custody.

Joby Thomas K., the superintendent of the Basirhat police district, informed The Telegraph that an investigation had been launched in response to a complaint from the BSF authorities.

He declared, "We will look into every possibility of the accused's involvement and take appropriate legal action."

A verbal spat broke out between Trinamul and the BJP following the arrest.

Trinamul has always maintained that the BSF should be held accountable for infiltration and that Union Home Minister Amit Shah should address inquiries about the matter. Trinamul has long been accused by the BJP of encouraging infiltration for political purposes.

"This incident proved the BSF's involvement in infiltration and smuggling about which our leader (chief minister and Trinamul supremo) Mamata Banerjee has been speaking for long," stated Koushik Dutta, a senior Trinamul leader of the Basirhat organising district, on Thursday. We have made an effort to highlight the BSF's illicit involvement in various activities.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs oversees the BSF. It ought to clarify the reason behind the infiltration," Dutta continued. However, it never did anything.

The BSF was defended by the BJP hierarchy. A district BJP leader stated, "This was an exception. If the BSF were involved in smuggling and trafficking, its personnel posted in Hakimpur would not have arrested the accused jawan."

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.