Two personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) were arrested by the West Bengal police for the gang-rape of a woman under Bagda police station in North 24 Parganas. The alleged incident occurred between the night of August 25 and the early hours of August 26 at Jeetpur border outpost along the India-Bangladesh border.
The woman, about 23 years old, was allegedly trying to cross the border from the Indian side with a child when she encountered the BSF jawans.
According to the police, the BSF personnel dragged her to the fields and gang-raped her. The incident has sent shockwaves among the people in the area and local MLA Biswajit Das met the villagers and family members of the survivor.
Mr. Das who won the polls on a BJP ticket and later shifted his allegiance to the TMC said that if the jurisdiction of the BSF is increased to 50 km such incidents would occur. The MLA said that he would approach the Chief Minister over the issue. The TMC will hold a protest rally in the area on August 28.
“A homemaker was sexually assaulted by 2 BSF men & was threatened to not raise her voice. THIS is the HORRIFIC reality of BJP’s enhanced jurisdiction! PM @narendramodi, who will take accountability for Rakshaks becoming Bhakshaks? Yes, we hear silence,” TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dasidar said.
The BSF officials said that the survivor was married to a person in Bangladesh and was trying to cross the border when she was sexually assaulted.
“We have suspended the personnel and initiated a court of inquiry,” A. K. Arya, DIG, South Bengal Frontier of the BSF said.
The issue of territorial jurisdiction of the BSF has remained a bone of contention between the State and the Centre. The West Bengal Assembly on November 16, 2021, had passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the Centre’s notification to increase the jurisdiction of BSF from 15 km to 50 km.
