The Centre had empowered the Border Security Force (BSF) to conduct searches, arrest suspects and make seizures up to an area of 50 km inside Indian territory from the International Border (IB) along India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.
Kolkata: A day after West Bengal legislators debated over resolution against the Centre's decision to extend the jurisdiction of the BSF along the International Border, Border Security Force Additional Director General (ADG) (Eastern Command) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania said that it is not true that the BSF would probe law and order situation in the state.
Speaking to ANI, Khurania said, "After BSF jurisdiction in West Bengal, Punjab, Assam extended to 50 km, it's been reported that the move will authorize BSF to probe law and order situation. It is not true that the BSF would involve in the law and order situation of the state."
He further said, "Neither did we have investigation power before as the power of registering FIR is not with us."
Khurania said, "Whenever we nab a person at the border or seize anything, we always hand them over to law enforcement agencies concerned. This is our limited mandate."
The ADG said, "Earlier, whenever we wanted to go inside 15 km of the designated area for search-related activities, we use to take help of the local police. Now, according to the new notification, these 15 km area has been increased to 50 km. I want to ensure everybody we will work within the capacity of the force."
He also said that the BSF maintains a good working relationship with the entire law enforcement agency.
The ADG of the Eastern Command said that there is around 4,000 BSF woman force deployed at the border.
Courtesy: ANI
