Returned BSF arms verified, jawans grilled

GUWAHATI, April 28: The weapons handed over by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) to BSF on verification have been found to be that of the 16 BSF men killed by BDR on April 18 in Mankachar sub-division of Assam, even as questioning of the two returned injured BSF jawans had begun, BSF sources said today. The sources from Shillong told PTI here the weapons - 11 SLR, four carbines, one pistol, two grenades, two wireless transmitter sets and a large cache of ammunition - had been examined and verified at Tura in Meghalaya. The Bangladesh Rifles had handed over the weapons on Thursday at the Mankachar border outpost and the BSF commandant of 118 Bn SK Zutshi, received them from Col Sadiq of BDR. The sources also said the BSF had written to the BDR for returning some minor ammunition of the slain border guards which were still in its possession. Meanwhile, the two injured jawans - Akshay Kumar and Bimal Kumar - who were returned by BDR on April 22 at Mahendraganj bordering Meghalaya-Bangladesh were being questioned about the events leading into the attack by the BDR and killing of 16 of their colleagues. Refusing to divulge the statements of the two jawans as "the inquiry was official and not for media coverage", the sources said, "the findings would be submitted to the Centre on completion of the probe". Meanwhile, the situation along the Assam-Meghalaya-Tripura border with Bangladesh was stated to be normal with flag meetings between the BSF and the BDR held at regular intervals to defuse the tension on the border. With New Delhi not treating the India-Bangladesh border as a "benign one" in the wake of the recent clashes, BSF will remain 'alert' at least till the Bangladesh elections are over as the possibility of 'further mischief' from the other side could not be ruled out, official sources said today. "There is a possibility of further mischief and the BSF will remain alert till the elections in Bangladesh are over in October," they told PTI in New Delhi when asked about the situation prevailing in border areas along Assam and Meghalaya.