Three Class X girls returning home from school were allegedly assaulted by a woman constable of the BSF when the trio resisted her bid to search their bags and frisk them near the Bangladesh border in Cooch Behar district on Tuesday afternoon.

One of the girls has filed a police complaint.

Senior BSF officers could not be contacted for their reaction to the assault charge.

Sources said three girls were returning home from school. All of them are Class X students of a local school.

“On our way home, a woman BSF constable stopped us near the BSF camp. She searched our school bags and then started frisking us. We felt humiliated and protested against the move. The constable became agitated and assaulted us,” said the girl who filed the police complaint.

Sources said one needed to walk past the BSF camp to enter or exit the village located near the international border. It is routine for the BSF to check the bags and other luggage of the residents to prevent smuggling.

“The entire incident happened at a place which is away from CCTV cameras. The woman constable slapped and shoved us without any provocation. She also said we should not disclose the incident, failing which she would kill us. We are panicked and don’t know how to attend school,” said another girl.

The trio alleged that while the constable thrashed them, some other personnel of the central security force reached there. “They, too, threatened us. We somehow left the place,” the girl said.

The students returned home and narrated the ordeal. All the three were taken to hospital for primary treatment. In the evening, one of them filed a police complaint.

“Based on the complaint, our officers are probing the case,” said Dyutiman Bhattacharya, the superintendent of police, Cooch Behar.

The incident has left the residents disgruntled.

“Such highhandedness of the BSF has to stop. How can they harass and beat our girls? Police should take steps and arrest the accused woman constable,” said a local resident.

The headmaster of the school where the girls study said he had informed the state education department about the incident.

Partha Pratim Roy, Trinamul’s Cooch Behar district spokesperson, said by resorting to such atrocities, a section of BSF personnel was bringing infamy to the force. "Officers of the force should take steps so that their subordinates refrain from such things.”