BSF jawan allegedly rapes mentally challenged girl

A case of rape was registered against a 26-year-old Border Security Force (BSF) jawan on Friday, after a man lodged a complaint that the jawan had sexually assaulted his mentally unsound daughter and impregnated her.

The incident took place at Kulakcharla police limits in Ranga Reddy district. The accused is absconding.

The 22-year-old woman was shifted to a government hospital for medical examination, based on which action will be initiated against the accused.

According to police, the victim, who is a resident of Hyderabad, used to visit her grandmother’s house in Kulakcharla frequently. Naresh, the jawan, is the grandmother’s neighbour.

Deputy superintendent of police, Chevella, K Silpa Valli told Express,

“The woman has been staying at her grandmother’s place since the last 15 months. During this time, Naresh absued her.”

When the girl fell ill, her family members admitted her to a private hospital. The doctors who examined her declared her pregnant.

The victim’s father, Kishan Singh, rushed to Kulkachrala, after which the girl told him that Naresh was abusing her sexually. She also said that he had threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the act.

Singh and the victim approached the Kulkacharla police and lodged a complaint.

A police team visited Naresh’s house to question him and his family in connection with the case. However, cops found the house locked, with no sign of their inmates.

The locals, however, told them that Naresh had recently left the place after receiving a call from BSF officials to resume his duties.

Meanwhile, a team was formed a team to nab Naresh’s family members. Police have also contacted higher officials at the BSF to collect details about Naresh.

via The New Indian Express.

BSF jawan`s death: Family allege murder, demands CBI probe

The family of a BSF jawan, who allegedly committed suicide in West Bengal on February 26, have alleged he was murdered and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

Locals disrupted vehicular traffic for over six hours when the body of jawan Mukesh Kumar Singh reached his native Sonversa village here, officials said.

The jawan’s family members demanded a CBI inquiry into his death and conferment of the status of a martyr on him, they said.

Rajesh Singh, the brother of the BSF para-trooper, told PTI that Mukesh had worked out an arms smuggling case on February 22.

Mukesh had called his family recently and expressed apprehensions that he might be murdered, he said.

The family alleged Mukesh was murdered and his death was shown as suicide.

Reports said the BSF jawan, who was suffering from depression, had shot himself with his service rifle and died instantly on February 26 in Kalyani area in West Bengal.

via Zee News

BSF jawan commits suicide

A BSF jawan allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself at the border guards’ camp in Nadia district in West Bengal, a senior official said.

According to SDPO Kalyani, Chandra Sekhar Bardhan, 30-year-old Mukesh Singh, a resident of Balia in Uttar Pradesh, shot himself with his service rifle and died on the spot at the camp under Haringhata area in the wee hours.

“Preliminary investigation indicated that Singh was suffering from depression,” Bardhan said.

The body has been sent for post-mortem and the incident is being probed, he said.

via Samay Live.

B’desh border guards cross into India, open fire

Personnel of the Bangladesh Border Guards, manning the international borders with India, today crossed into the Indian side and opened ‘unprovoked’ fire leaving a 40-year-old farmer dead and a child injured in Uttar Dinajpur district in West bengal.

The DGP of the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and other personnel, crossed the Kulik river close to the international border, entered Indian villages and fired three rounds near the Makarhaat area, killing Md Farid and injuring a 13-year-old boy, the officers said.

BSF Additional Director General (East) B D Sharma told PTI: “Later during a flag meeting at the commandant level, they have admitted to the firing.” Local reports said that Farid was found dead along the border on the Indian side with fertilisers found on him.

“Our men are saying that their jawans entered the Indian side and killed the man after an altercation with villagers,” Sharma said. Senior officers have rushed to the spot to handle the situation while the injured boy has been admitted to Raiganj district hospital.

via The Tribune, Chandigarh

BSF jawan, brother convicted for rape

The additional district and session judge third of Kanpur Dehat, Santosh Kumar Pandey on Tuesday convicted a BSF jawan and his brother for committing rape and punished them with ten years rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs. 5000 on each.

The sentenced persons were identified as Braj Kishore alias Raju (BSF jawan) and Toke alias Tinku, both resident of Fattepur village under Derapur police station. According to prosecution, Tinku had dragged a minor girl of a fellow villager on May 24, 2010 and thereafter both Tinku and Braj Kishore had physically exploited her.

Derapaur police refused to register the victim’s complaint. The victim thereafter went to the court and filed a complaint under section 156 (3) CRPC. The police registered the case after the court’s intervention. During the trial, family members of accused proposed to marry the girl with one of the brothers. But the victim denied it and appeared before the court to punish the accused.

via The Times of India.

Flak for anti-rape order in Manipur

Opposition parties in Manipur have reacted sharply to the UPA government’s anti-rape ordinance for not including all of Justice J.S. Verma committee’s recommendations.

The ordinance, which has provisions for capital punishment for rape and gang rape leading to death or vegetative state of the victim, was sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent on Friday.

The committee had recommended the removal of sanction required for prosecuting army personnel accused of crimes against women under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, and they be tried under ordinary criminal law.

“The UPA government’s rejection of the recommendations on rape by army personnel shows the Centre is not fully prepared to deal with sexual offences,” CPI state committee secretary M. Nara Singh said.

The party is currently on a month-long campaign, which started on Friday, demanding repeal of the act. A series of street corner meetings will be organised as part of the campaign.

Trinamul Congress also slammed the UPA government for ignoring the Verma panel’s recommendations. “A rapist is a rapist. There should not be any differentiation between a civilian and army personnel who commit crimes against women. The accused personnel should be tried and convicted under normal criminal law,” Trinamul spokesperson Rk. Shivachandra Singh said.

Manipur BJP spokesperson S. Tikendra said rape was a serious crime and therefore the ordinance was not adequate to deal with the crime, as it did not cover the crimes committed by armymen. “An act should be impartial.”

The Verma committee’s proposal to take immunity away from the armed forces under the act echoes a long-standing demand in the Northeast and Kashmir, where the act is enforced.

Personnel of armed forces operating in Manipur have reportedly committed many crimes against women, including rape and managed to escape punishment under the protection of the act. The prosecution of army personnel requires the sanction of the Union home ministry.

The Thangjam Manorama case is still pending in the Supreme Court as the ministry is unwilling to give sanction to prosecute the accused. She was picked up from her home and shot dead after being allegedly raped by Assam Rifles jawans in 2004.

Manipuris have been demanding repeal of the act, with Irom Sharmila on a fast-unto-death for more than 12 years.

via The Telegraph

No to army deployment in naxal areas

Shishir Gupta.

The Committee of Secretaries (CoS) is understood to have shot down a home ministry plan to revive the proposal of deploying Rashtriya Rifles (RR) for static duties in naxal-infested areas.

The step comes in the wake of the disastrous CRPF-Maoist encounter in Latehar last month with the defence ministry opposed to involvement of the army against left-wing extremists in heart of the country.

Top government sources said the CoS headed by cabinet secretary Ajit Seth shelved home secretary RK Singh’s proposal last month for the time being.

The army in principle is opposed to the plan unless the Centre raises additional RR battalions for countering the red rebels. They feel that moving out RR battalions would weaken the counter-insurgency grid in J&K. Defence minister AK Antony has been opposed to the army opening another front in central India.

The proposal to involve RR only in static duties to guard key installations and reassure villagers in Maoist areas was mooted after the CRPF commanders were found wanting in the Latehar encounter on January 7 despite specific grid locations and actionable intelligence. The CRPF operation in Latehar caused serious consternation among the internal security establishment at the loss of 14 persons including nine CRPF personnel despite pin-pointed aerial and electronic intelligence. Much to the chagrin of home ministry, the local CRPF commanders could not summon up courage to re-engage the Maoist leaders after the Latehar loss.

While Army does not want to get sucked to internal security duties against Maoists, the internal security managers made it clear to Seth that just because RR was involved in static duties did not mean that the troopers would not respond to a Maoist provocation. “The RR battalions would have no options but to respond to Maoist attack and get sucked up into the conflict,” said a senior official.

The other argument was that the Army would want imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in naxal areas before moving in. “At a time when Omar Abdullah is demanding removal of AFSPA from J&K, its imposition to tackle the Maoists by RR would be a very bad idea,” an official said.

via Hindustan Times.

BSF refuses to comment on civilian ‘killings’

Director General of BSF, Subhash Joshi, has refused to comment on reports that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sent letters to the Centre that the security force has gunned down 24 civilians in the past six months. “We do our duty professionally and we will continue to do our duty professionally,” Joshi replied when asked about it.

About alleged involvement of BSF jawans in smuggling, Joshi said: “We take stern action when specific complaints come to us.” Joshi was at Salt Lake to launch a scheme to provide medical care to children with cleft lip and palate.

via Indian Express.

Jawan, held for allegedly molesting woman, out on bail after spending a night in jail

Monideepa Banerjie.

A BSF jawan, who allegedly molested a woman in Kolkata on Monday, is out on bail after spending just one night in a police lock-up.

The jawan, Manish Rajinder, was one of the four jawans who had allegedly passed lewd comments at a woman journalist at Shyambazar- a very crowded area of north Kolkata.

At around 7:30 pm on Monday, while the woman was exiting a restaurant, the jawans passed lewd comments as as they walked past. Rajinder also allegedly physically molested her.

“I was stunned for a few seconds,” said the victim. “Then I turned and saw the man was not far away. So I chased him and caught him.” Local passers-by also reportedly rushed to her help.

Once he was caught, the crowds converged on the jawan and started beating him up. That’s when the police arrived and reportedly resorted to a mild lathicharge. They took the jawan in custody.

“The police initially did nothing,” one eyewitness said. “They said he is BSF. So are the laws different for BSF? Can they do anything?,” the person added.

Investigations revealed that Manish Rajinder and three other jawans of the 158 Battalion were at Howrah station on their way to Tura in Meghalaya via Guwahati for election duty. They sneaked out of the station without informing their superiors, apparently to have dinner. They allegedly molested the woman then.

The police charged Rajinder under section 354 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code, accusing him of assaulting or using criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty. But since both sections are bailable, the jawan was out the very next day.

However, the BSF has said it is suspending all four jawans, pending an enquiry. The suspension, however, is not for molestation but for leaving their place of duty without proper authorisation.

via NDTV

Mob chase Assam Rifles personnel in Manipur

A mob in Jiribam chased a team of 22nd battalion Assam Rifles personnel coming to hand over an arrested person to Manipur Police who the local people claimed was an innocent civilian, police said on Wednesday.

Police burst tear gas shells to disperse the mob. No injuries were reported during the incident.

Enraged locals of Jiribam town near Assam, about 222 km west of here, chased Assam Rifles personnel in their vehicles while they were coming to hand over Moirangthem Bijen (40) whom they had picked up for questioning on Monday from Jiribam yesterday.

The mob stopped the vehicles and dragged out Bijen who was allegedly severely beaten up while in custody of the Assam Rifles personnel, official sources said.

The local people then turned on Assam Rifles personnel and became violent, sources said adding that police burst tear gas shells to disperse the mob but no one was injured.

Since the situation became tense, the additional deputy commissioner of Jiribam Y Iboyaima and additional superintendent of police O Major rushed to the spot and held talks with the local public leaders, official reports from Jiribam said adding that the enraged people were later dispersed by the police.

Shops and markets were closed for several hours yesterday due to the incident, reports said.

Meanwhile, Bijen was taken to Jiribam government hospital where his condition remained serious, sources said.

-via Zee News