We got information that on 05/06/2010 at around 7.45 p.m. it
was raining incessantly at Harudanga area in district Murshidabad. Taking
advantages of the bad weather around 10 p.m. Master Manik Mondal, Mr. Sajjad
Hossain and some of their accomplices were trying to smuggle some cattle
through ‘Nirmal Char’ area while two constables of Border Security Force (BSF)
attached with ‘B’ company of Harudanga BSF camp under Battalion no. 151 were
on duty. Suddenly those BSF personnel fired on the smugglers without giving
any warning. One bullet pierced Manik’s body by entering through his chest
and exited through his back and another bullet stuck Sajjad’s right side
chest and exited through his left side of chest. Both of them fell down on
the ground with profuse bleeding and unconscious. Rest of their accomplices
fled away from the place. It is also reported that BSF constables seized 22
cattle allegedly from that place and took those cattle to BSF camp while two
victims were fell down on the ground unconscious without any medical
treatment till 8 a.m. of next morning. The inhumane act by the BSF personnel
ensured the death of the victims.
On 06/06/2010 at around 8 a.m. a police team comprising of five personnel
from Raninagar police station including Mr. Pabitra Mustafi; the
Officer-in-Charge of the said police station reached at the place of
aforesaid incident. Mr. Mustafi conducted inquest of both of the victims
according to section 174 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), while no doctor
examined the bodies and declared as dead till then. Subsequently at around 9
a.m. two bodies were taken to Godhanpara Primary Health Centre by one BSF
vehicle bearing number HR 39A7417. Around 9:15 am on duty doctor Mr. N. K.
Halder examined the bodies and declared as dead both of them. Thereafter the
dead-bodies were taken to Raninagar police station. Around 11:30 a.m. Mr.
Arunava Das; the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Raninagar II Block
conducted inquest of both the dead-bodies; were lying on the aforesaid BSF
vehicle; standing at the premises of Raninagar police station and around
1.30 p.m. the dead-bodies were sent to Lalbagh police morgue for post mortem
examination (PME) after paper works are completed. Though the family members
of the victims were present at the police station while the enquiry over the
bodies was going on by Mr. Arunava Das, but none were allowed by the
authorities. This is a gross violation of our criminal procedure code.
It was also reported that police of Raninagar PS took signature of one
person belongs to Manik’s family member on a blank paper. The PME of the
bodies were done by Doctor Mr. Jadav Kumar Jana at around 3.30 pm. It was
another instance of irresponsibility that the said doctor did not mention
any cause of death at the disposal order of Manik Mondal. One Unnatural
Death (UD) case was registered at Raninagar PS bearing case no. 10/10 dated
06/06/2010. One specific criminal case also was registered at the said
police station being no. 308/2010 dated 06/06/2010 under sections
147/148/149/186/188/379/353/307/120B/ 511 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 12
Pass Port (P.P.) Act after one complaint made by Mr. Ramji Pandey, the
Company Commandant of ‘B’ company of Battalion no. 151. It is awfully
astonishing that sections 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and 12 PP Act were
charged against the victims in the FIR while no BSF person was injured due
to the incident and they were shot dead at nearly 4 kilometers inside from
the actual border.
On 06/06/2010 our fact finding team talked to Mr. Ramji Pandey about the
incident. Mr. Pandey told our fact finding team that BSF constables
compelled to fire on the smugglers for their self defence. He also informed
our fact finding team then no weapon was seized and no BSF personnel was
injured due to the incident.
According to latest information no criminal case has been initiated against
the perpetrating BSF personnel.
Two bodies were lying on BSF truck in the courtyard of Raninagar PS & inquest was being conducted, victims’ Family members were not allowed to be present at ‘enquiry’.