BALURGHAT: In a dramatic turn of events, two Indian farmers, allegedly abducted from the Indian side of the border, were returned after an intense flag meeting between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the BGB on Friday evening. The incident had unfolded in the Anantapur area of the Mallickpur Border Outpost in the Gangarampur police station area, South Dinajpur district.
The two Indian farmers, identified as Philip Soren (34) and Abinash Tudu (23), were reportedly abducted by a group of Bangladeshi miscreants. The duo had crossed into the area near the border for their daily agricultural work. After irrigating their land, they were resting under a tree when some miscreants from Bangladesh captured them. The abduction triggered panic in the border village, leading to swift action from the BSF. The BSF responded promptly, sending senior officers from the 91st Battalion to the site. Following a tense flag meeting, which continued from the evening into the night, the BGB was compelled to release the two farmers. In a reciprocal move, two Bangladeshi nationals who had illegally crossed into India were handed over to the BGB.
According to the District Police Superintendent of South Dinajpur, Chinmay Mittal, the situation was swiftly contained after the flag meeting and all parties made efforts to return the Indian farmers. “We are closely monitoring the situation,” Mittal said.
The two farmers’ families expressed immense relief after their return. Abinash’s grandfather, Dinesh Tudu, shared his initial fears: “We work on the land across the border daily, but nothing like this has ever happened. When my grandson was taken, we were worried the miscreants might damage our crops.”
Abinash’s wife, Hiramani Besra, recounted the events: “My husband went to work as usual. When I heard he was taken, I was deeply anxious. However, thanks to the BSF’s intervention and the flag meeting, I got him back.”
Similarly, Philip Soren’s wife, Sanjila Murmu, expressed gratitude: “I had no idea what to think when my husband was taken. I’m relieved that thanks to BSF’s prompt action, he’s back safe.”