TURA: At a time when the Border Security Force (BSF) deployed in Garo Hills is gung-ho over efficiently and ‘successfully’ preventing cattle smuggling, residents of a border village have a different story to tell.
Villagers of Purakhasia in West Garo Hills have filed a police complaint against the BSF troop deployed in their area for allegedly taking away six cows owned by a village elder on Wednesday. The FIR was files at Purakhasia outpost.
The villagers said the cattle, owned by Boleswar Koch, were let out for grazing on his paddy field when the BSF personnel of 75 Battalion posted in the sector arrived to seize the cattle and herded them away to their outpost.
“We tried to reason with the company commander and his team and even showed documents regarding ownership of the cattle but they refused to release the cows. There were two calves and the mother too,” alleged the villagers.
The border guards which, for years, were criticised for failing to control cattle smuggling, have recently become active in foiling smuggling across the border.
However, the villagers claimed that the troops are arbitrarily taking possession of livestock owned by residents living along the border and passing it off as seizure material.
“They (BSF troops) seize any cattle they come across in the border region without verifying the ownership and then claim it to be a smuggling consignment meant for Bangladesh, which is not at all correct,” said a village elder who did not wish to be quoted.
The 75 Bn BSF officials could not be reached for their comments.
