Two vehicles of the Sashastra Seema Bal and a police jeep were ransacked today

Siliguri, Aug. 24: Two vehicles of the Sashastra Seema Bal and a police jeep were ransacked today after some residents of a Naxalbari village had an altercation with the border guards who allegedly thrashed them and seized their cattle.

The protesters blocked the Naxalbari-Panighata road for more than three hours demanding the release of the cattle heads.

According to police, this morning, few SSB jawans patrolling near the border challenged two-three persons from Totaramjote who were going towards Naxalbari with few cattle heads. The jawans allegedly accused them of smuggling the cattle and seized the animals. The border guards had an altercation with the villagers when they wanted the cattle back.

Totaramjote in Naxalbari block is close to the India-Nepal border.

Around 9am, local people, who alleged that the border guards had also thrashed the villagers, blocked the Naxalbari-Panighata road at Panighata More demanding the release of the cattle heads.

The protesters also ransacked two SSB vehicles and a police jeep.

Around 11am, Sunil Ghosh, a member of Naxalbari panchayat samity, led a demonstration near the Naxalbari police station demanding the release of the animals and action against the jawans who allegedly beat up the villagers.

The blockade was lifted around 1pm after SSB officials and the police assured the protesters that they would probe the incident. The SSB has filed a police complaint after the incident. “We have started an investigation. Steps will be taken against those who damaged the vehicles,” said Amit P. Javalgi, the additional superintendent of police, Siliguri.

-TT