Clash between BSF, smugglers injures 2

MALDA, July 29: Cattle smugglers clashed with some BSF personnel injuring a sub-inspector and an assistant commandant near the Mahedipur border out post, Bangladesh border in Malda district this morning.Mr Narayan Singh (SI) and Mr Sitaram Rawat (AC) were admitted to the Malda district hospital this morning with head injuries from the attack by the cattle smugglers Trouble broke out about 3 a.m. when a group of cattle smugglers were trying to cross over to Bangladesh near the Loton mosque in Malda district and were chased by BSF personnel of 123-battalion. Instead of running away, the smugglers, armed with lethal weapons and firearms, attacked the BSF personnel injuring two of them.According to police, the BSF party fired several rounds in the air dispersing the criminals as the latter outnumbered them. The criminals fled with most of the cattle but the BSF managed to intercept 10 heads of cattle.The BSF have lodged a complaint and informed the police about the identity of the criminals involved in the smuggling. Police have started conducting raids in the Mahedipur villages in search of the criminals.The BSF is on high alert in the area and have been especially asked to keep a tight vigil on the unfenced areas of the border following the serial blasts at Bangalore and Ahmedabad.Cattle smuggling racket is active along the border in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, North Dinajpur, Malda, South Dinajpur and Murshidabad districts. The criminals, who are always in touch amongst themselves, use the unfenced zones as corridors for smuggling and trans-border movement of criminals. n SNS