Maharajganj tense after civilian shot dead by SSB jawan

GORAKHPUR: Tension prevailed in Samptiha village of Maharajganj on Monday after a local civilian was allegedly shot dead by an unidentified Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawan late on Sunday night.

SSB personnel accused the deceased of being involved in smuggling illicit goods across the Indo-Nepal border and said the jawan shot him in self-defence when he was trying to smuggle goods across the border. However, his brother and eye witnesses claimed that he was shot after an altercation with SSB officials and later taken to the border to make it appear that the deceased was killed while smuggling illicit goods.

The victim, a resident of Kurnhwa tola identified as Kamlesh, was playing volleyball along with his friends when twothree SSB personnel going towards Jogiyabari took him to be suspicious and began clicking his pictures.

An altercation between Kamlesh and the SSB jawans took place when the former raised an objection over being photographed without his permission. An eyewitness said that the SSB personnel called more of their colleagues to the spot following which one of them fired a bullet that hit the victim in his leg.

“They then beat him up and dragged him to another location near the Indo-Nepal border to make it appear that he was shot during while smuggling across the border,” alleged the eye witness. Police personnel from four police stations have been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward situation as several angry villagers made a failed bid to block Sonauli Gorakhpur highway and raised slogans against the SSB. SP RP Singh and DM Virendra Kumar Singh also visited the spot to inspect the situation.

The Nautanwa police, which has registered a case against unknown assailants on the complaint filed by the victim’s elder brother Anil has recovered a live and empty cartridge from the spot in the village. Blood samples have also been collected from the ground.

“He was shot in the village during an altercation with the SSB personnel who later changed the location to the Nepal border to make it appear as a case of trafficking illicit goods” alleged Anil and added that the SSB personnel also threatened to shoot him and other villagers when they tried to rescue the deceased. Later, the deceased was admitted to Nautanwa PHC by SSB ,where he was declared brought dead.

SSB personnel, however, denied the accusations. “The charges are absolutely baseless. The accused was caught with illicit goods by the SSB jawans at the Indo-Nepal border. He shot him in self-defence. Earlier also, cases have been registered against the deceased in different police stations for trafficking of illicit goods,” said deputy commandment SSB Dileep Kumar Jha.