A Border Security Force constable was nabbed by BSF troops from Hakimpur in North 24-Parganas for allegedly helping two Bangladeshi nationals sneak into India.

As the BSF constable was held along the porous India-Bangladesh border — the two countries share over 4,000km of land borders out of which over 2200km fall in Bengal — on charges of aiding illegal immigration, it immediately triggered a political row.

Infiltration from Bangladesh is a prickly political issue with which the BJP routinely attacks the ruling Trinamul in Bengal. This time, however, the accused is a member of a paramilitary force.

On Thursday, a patrolling team of the BSF nabbed Pradip Ghosh, 30, a constable attached to the Tripura-based 199th battalion, on a border road near Hakimpur check post, along with two Bangladesh nationals, who had allegedly entered the country through a porous stretch of the border with the help of some touts who earn a living by facilitating illegal immigration, said a BSF source.

The patrolling team of BSF’s 112th battalion intercepted Ghosh who was riding a scooter with the duo on pillion along a border road in the Bithari-Hakimpur panchayat.

“While Ghosh produced documents to prove his identity, the two other persons didn’t have any proof to prove their Indian identity,” said a source.

The BSF authorities later handed over Ghosh and the duo, identified as Hanif Hosain and Sumati Biswas, to Swarupnagar police along with a written complaint.

An officer of Swarupnagar police said BSF authorities stated in the complaint that Ghosh helped the Bangladeshi nationals enter Indian territory illegally.

Despite repeated attempts, BSF officials in Basirhat and Frontier headquarters in Calcutta could not be reached for official comments on the arrest.

Bharat Ghosh, father of the accused BSF cop, refused to speak on the issue.

Local sources said Ghosh, a resident of Swarupdaha village in Swarupnagar and posted in Tripura, came home last week on a vacation.

Police have begun a probe and the Ghosh along with the couple were produced before the additional chief judicial magistrate’s court in Basirhat which sent them to judicial custody.

Superintendent of Basirhat police district Joby Thomas K. told The Telegraph that they had begun a probe based on the complaint received from the BSF authorities.

“We will investigate all angles of possible involvement of the accused and take legal actions accordingly,” he said.

The arrest triggered a war of words between the BJP and Trinamul.

Accused for long by the BJP of facilitating infiltration for political gains, Trinamul has always maintained that the BSF should be held responsible for infiltration and Union home minister Amit Shah should respond to questions on the issue.

Koushik Dutta, a senior Trinamul leader of Basirhat organising district, said on Thursday: “This incident proved the BSF’s involvement in infiltration and smuggling about which our leader (chief minister and Trinamul supremo) Mamata Banerjee has been speaking for long. We have tried to draw attention to the BSF’s involvement in illegal activities.”

“The BSF is under the Union ministry of home affairs.... It should answer why infiltration is taking place,” Dutta added. “But it never took any action....”

The BJP leadership defended the BSF. “If the BSF were involved in smuggling and trafficking, its personnel posted in Hakimpur would not have arrested the accused jawan.... This was an exception,” said a district
BJP leader.