AGARTALA , June 6, Friday Night 11.45pm (TIWN): In a horrifying incident, two persons died while nine villagers were injured when BSF jawans opened fire indiscriminately at Dakshin Ramnagar, near Akhaura just 2 km from the capital town tonight triggering panic. Two deceased persons have been identified as Sandip Kumar, a BSF jawan and Ismaile Miah, an elderly villager.

The injured villagers  who have been shifted to GBP Hospital, were identified as  Alamgir Miah Sahid Miah , Nanu Miah , Abul Miah , Mirja Sen , Hayder Ali, Kanu Miah , Sahin Miah and  Latif Miah.

As the mercury was up, villagers were gossiping near a pond at Dakshin Ramnagar, a thickly populated village, Jaipur, Akhaura area, while a few persons were on the water body.

It was around 8.45pm, two BSF jawans engaged in patrolling appeared near the pond and asked the villagers why they were here. And, villagers readily replied- “We are here to cool off’’.

According to eye witnesses, suddenly quarrel began among villagers and two BSF jawans near the pond. As one of the jawans (reported drunk by villagers) lost tamper and opened fire resulting in one villager- Ismile Miah died on the spot while nine others were injured. But it was not clear how the BSF jawan- Sandip Kumar died - one version is BSF jawans were in inebriated condition and jawan Sandeep Kumar died of self inflicted firing;  -  another version is there were armed smugglers among the villagers who started firing which killed BSF jawan Sandeep Kumar. Ismaile Miah's body was recovered from a shallow well closeby.

MLA Ratan Das, who has been camping at Dakshin Ramnagar tonight alleged the BSF troops opened fire without provocation. “Villagers were cooling themselves off near a pond when the jawans opened fire. This kind of role is not expected from the BSF jawans”, he said.

He added, the BSF jawans gunned down one of the elderly villager- Ismile Miah, which was not imaginable either.

It was like war like situation at Dakshin Ramnagar after the incident with TSR jawans taking the charge of providing security to the area.

Around 11 pm, Inspector General (Law and Order) Mr. Anurag along with DIG (Range) Sourabh Tripathi arrived at the ill-fated pond. Superintendent of Police (West) Bijoy Kumar Nag was seen in moving around the spot with heavy reinforcement.

The bullet riddled body of the elderly villager was not recovered till 11.30 pm since tension runs high in the area. People were seen on both sides of road but they were tightlipped.

Senior BSF officials including Inspector General also visited the spot but did not pass any comment on the today’s incident.

 Injured villagers brought to GB Hospital, undergoing treatment. Many in critical condition. TIWN Pic Friday night 11.30pm

 Dead BSF Jawan Sandeep Kumar at GB Hospital. TIWN Pic Friday Night 11.30pm