SP eye on defence staff

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 1 JAN: Staff of the defence intelligence wing, posted at Malda along the India-Bangladesh border, have come under scanner. The Malda SP Mr Bhuban Mandal yesterday examined one of the staff of the defence intelligence wing, Mr A Vishal, and decided to intimate the higher authorities about his whereabouts.

Mr Mandal has also asked the inspector-in-charge of Kaliachak police station to interrogate him further to learn of his motive and the details of where and how he collected arms.

Today, the IC Kaliachak police station reported to the Malda SP that Mr Vishal left Malda for Siliguri. Mr Vishal was allegedly leaking out information to other agencies, including the media, without the permission of the Malda SP.

“Defence intelligence wing will only share information with the police chief of a district,” the Malda SP said adding that, “the wing can not divulge information to others”.

The Army officials posted in Darjeeling recently set up its intelligence wing at Malda in order to collect information along the India-Bangladesh border.

Recently a top Army official met the Malda SP and introduced intelligence staff posted along the border with him for sharing information. The Malda SP took such a decision against the defence staff when a section of media asked about six Huji militants entering India calling themselves staff from “Central Intelligence Branch”, who had seized two firearms and cartridges and other materials from Chori Anantapur in Kaliachak, a village along the border.

According to the Mr Mandal, six persons fled the spot when they tried to intercept them. Later they found a bag in which they found two improvised arms and two cartridges. But he could not confidently establish his informations regarding the Huji men.

“We have received two improvised firearms and poor quality cartridges from Mr Vishal. I will draw the attention of Army headquarters in Darjeeling regarding the role of defence intelligence wing here,” said Mr Mandal.

At present the top army official who came to meet Malda SP is on leave, he added.