Man arrested for buying mortar shell in Jalpaiguri district

The Jalpaiguri Kotwali Police Station arrested a man accused of purchasing Army mortar shells found in the Teesta River basin. The incident occurred on Tuesday in the Sukanta Nagar Colony area, adjacent to Jalpaiguri town.

The man has been identified as Atul Barman, a scrap iron dealer. According to police sources, Barman was thoroughly questioned about who sold him the shells, the amount of money involved and the purpose behind buying the shells.

Police and the Army conducted search operations for mortar shells in the Teesta basin area, including Sukanta Nagar Colony and Vivekananda Palli, on Wednesday. They used metal detectors to search various locations.

Meanwhile, residents of Vivekananda Palli and Sukanta Nagar Colony areas breathed a sigh of relief as the recovered mortar shells were safely defused.

Local resident Ratan Biswas stated: “We found a total of six shells around my house. Two shells were defused on Tuesday and four more were defused on Wednesday. I feel relieved now. However, there is a concern that shells washed into the river may remain in the basin area.”

Reports of mortar shells being found in several areas, including Rangdhamali, Domhani, Takimari and Binnaguri in the Teesta basin emerged on Wednesday. Police sources indicate that the recovered shells will also be defused in the same manner. Nevertheless, the public have been advised against venturing into the Teesta river’s basin area.

Khandbahale Umesh Ganpat, the District Superintendent of Police, stated: “We are using metal detectors to comb the area for shells. One person has been arrested for the alleged purchase of shells. His interrogation is underway.”

The Police Super further stated that till Tuesday, 45 bodies were recovered in the downstream areas of Teesta in Jalpaiguri district, of which 11 have been identified. Out of these 11, 6 are Army personnel and the remaining 5 are civilians.