New Delhi: BSF has ordered "court martial"
proceedings against eight of its personnel after a video of
their stripping, kicking and beating a Bangladeshi national
along the Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal's Murshidabad
district surfaced recently.
The personnel, according to BSF chief Utthan K Bansal,
were found prima facie "guilty" after a court of inquiry was
conducted into the incident which took place early last month.
The personnel can put up their defence during the court
martial.
"The staff court of inquiry has been completed (in the
incident). Now, we are ordering a court martial where the
record of evidence will be taken. That is the procedure under
the BSF Act. After that the presiding officer will decide the
level of punishment," the BSF Director General told PTI here.
"Prima facie, they have been found guilty. Now the
extent of the guilt and what defence they (eight jawans) have
to put...all that is part of the court procedure and once we
have that, we will further take action. The Presiding officer
will decide the punishment," he said.
A mobile phone captured the video that surfaced last
month, showing the Border Security Force (BSF) troopers
assaulting a 32-year-old Bangladeshi, identified as Abdul
Sheikh, a resident of Abasia in Chapainawabganj in Bangladesh.
He was allegedly smuggling cattle across the border
when the BSF troops had intercepted him.
The eight personnel belong to the 105th battalion of
the border guarding force and the incident took place in its
Charmurasi boundary outpost in Murshidabad district.
PTI
First Published: Friday, February 24, 2012, 16:16