Tortured for not paying 'bribe'

Indian TV channel NDTV shows the footage of men in BSF uniform stripping and torturing an alleged Bangladeshi cow smuggler in Murshidabad of West Bengal close to the Bangladesh border. Image: Tv Grab

Indian Border Security Force yesterday suspended eight jawans after a video clip was aired on some Indian TV channels, including NDTV, showing a Bangladeshi being beaten up by some BSF members in Murshidabad district, Paschimbanga.
The nearly five-minute video footage, whose source and authenticity could not be ascertained immediately, showed that the victim was pushed to the ground with his hands and legs tied while three to four men in BSF uniform stripped and tortured him. The Bangladeshi man was tortured as he allegedly refused to pay them a bribe.
The suspension order came from the BSF headquarters in late evening.
The personnel suspended were identified by the BSF headquarters here as constables Virender Tiwari, VS Victor, Dhananjay Kumar, Anand Singh, Amar Jyoti, Sanjeev Kumar, Suresh Chand and Sunil Kumar.
"The eight personnel have been identified and suspended pending inquiry," said Vikas Chandra, deputy inspector general (DIG) at the BSF headquarters here.
"A news video clipping showing violent and illegal conduct by three-four men in uniform in the area of Murshidabad has been taken note of by BSF headquarters. A detailed staff court-of-inquiry has been ordered to fix responsibility and take action under BSF act and rules for this misconduct," BSF spokesman T Acharya said.
He said the commandant of 105 battalion to which the suspended personnel belong had been sent to visit the spot and ascertain full details of the incident.
According to reports, the victim in the video was suspected to be a Bangladeshi national who smuggled cows along Indo-Bangladesh border.
"The prima facie finding is that some BSF personnel were indeed involved," Ravi Kumar Ponoth, BSF's inspector-general for South Bengal, was quoted by the NDTV website as saying.