Daijiworld Media Network – Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri, Aug 9: A 35-year-old tea worker from West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district was allegedly abducted from a tea garden near the India-Bangladesh border on Saturday, with his family suspecting the involvement of a group of Bangladeshi miscreants.
The incident reportedly took place in the Kukurjan area of Rajganj block, close to the international border. The missing worker, identified as Dipankar Gope, is a resident of Tasar Para in the border village of Chaulhati.
According to his family, the incident may be linked to an earlier attempt by a Bangladeshi national to enter India illegally. They suspect that Gope may have been taken across the border in retaliation after the infiltration attempt was foiled.
Local sources said a Bangladeshi national allegedly attempted to cross the barbed-wire fencing near the Chaulhati border on August 6. Villagers and Border Security Force personnel reportedly intercepted him and handed him over to the police. Authorities are now examining whether the detained man had any links with a cross-border smuggling network.
Gope reportedly went to his tea garden on Saturday morning to spray pesticides. The garden is located beyond the border fencing. While he was working alone, around 20 alleged Bangladeshi miscreants reportedly crossed into Indian territory, overpowered him and took him towards Bangladesh.
The incident sparked concern among residents of nearby border villages, particularly those who work in agricultural and tea gardens located close to the international boundary.
Following the incident, BSF personnel reportedly held a flag meeting with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials seeking Gope’s safe release. However, he had not been released till Saturday night and was reportedly in BGB custody.
A purported video of Gope also surfaced on social media, in which he allegedly claimed that he would be released only after the Bangladeshi national arrested earlier was freed. The video has not been independently verified.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction and the possible cross-border connection.