SHILLONG, May 6: In a startling incident, a 34-year-old trucker identified as Ronin Nongkynrih of Jalynteng village under Raid Nongkynrih was allegedly shot dead by three personnel of BSF Meghalaya Frontier at Pomshutia along the Pynursla-Dawki around 11 pm on Friday.
The truck driver was reportedly traveling with cattle meant to be smuggled to Bangladesh.
It may be noted that the BSF has seized several cattle meant for smuggling recently.
Sources said that the truck driver intended to enter a bye-lane along the Pynursla-Dawki road when he was shot dead by the BSF.
He was allegedly shot in the head.
The cousin brother of the deceased, Ribalskhem Nongkynrih, who was with him in the truck, revealed that the vehicle fell into a drain near the roadside after the BSF personnel fired.
Ribalskhem recalled that his brother swerved the truck to make way for the BSF personnel but they instead shot him in the head.
The incident, according to him, happened at a fast pace.
They were headed to a designated stockyard to drop off the cattle.
To save his own life, Ribalskhem played dead to escape similar fate like his brother’s. “But God saved me,” he said. He alleged that the BSF personnel fled away after the shooting episode.
It may be mentioned that the police have filed an FIR in this case.
When contacted, a senior police official said a case has been registered and investigation taken up.
Asked if the police would arrest the BSF personnel who shot the trucker, the senior official said they will move the court.
A police team reportedly rushed to the spot along with a magistrate and necessary legal formalities were conducted.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Sylvester Nongtnger said that they have registered a case under IPC Section 302 (Punishment for murder) with Pynursla Police Station.
The SP however said that no arrest has been made so far.
Reacting to this incident, BSF Meghalaya Frontier IG, Pradip Kumar said that immediate action has been initiated by the BSF headquarters, and a court of inquiry to be headed by a DIG rank officer has been ordered to ascertain the facts relating to the incident.
The BSF top official also said that the three personnel have been withdrawn from their location and told to report to the frontier headquarters.
He said that as per preliminary findings, the BSF personnel who shot the truck driver had fired in self defence while sensing that he might be run over by the oncoming vehicle.
“But unfortunately the person in the truck died. This is not a final report. We will also be cooperating in the investigation of the police,” the BSF Meghalaya Frontier IG said.
The KSU South Central Circle demanded immediate arrest of the BSF personnel who allegedly shot the trucker dead.
Talking to reporters here on Saturday, KSU South Central Circle assistant general secretary, Vorrozislov Sohkhlet said that they will adopt stringent measures if the authorities failed to arrest the BSF personnel for taking away the life of the truck driver.
He added that they will be holding a rally on Monday at Pynursla to protest against this incident.
Sohkhlet said that the deployment of BSF personnel inside 50 km of the international border is putting the safety and security of the civilians in jeopardy.
He demanded the withdrawal of the BSF personnel deployed at Pynursla and Langkyrdem.
