Mukherjee tones down killing of villager by Bangladesh troops in Tripura

Kolkata/ Sonamura, Jan 21 (ANI): Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday played down the killing of an Indian villager, allegedly by four personnel of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Sonamura area near Tripura.

Mukherjee said such incidents should not prove to be thaw in relations between the two countries.

"Such incidents keep happening. There is no point in blowing the issue out of proportion. India and Bangladesh share cordial relations and everything can be sorted out through dialogue," he told reporters outside his Kolkata residence.

Shah Alam Mia, a villager, was allegedly killed by four members of the BGB right outside his house on Friday morning, following which tensions ran high on both sides of the border.

The Superintendent of Police of Sonamura, Smriti Ranjan Das, said: "Three BGB (Border Guards Bangladesh) personnel tried to enter from Bangladesh without any reason, So far, it appears from the people of this area, they entered and near the house of Shah Alam Mia, the deceased."

"The deceased Shah Alam Mia accordingly raised objections to them entering India. They threatened Shah Alam Mia with death. Accordingly, Alam protested, and in the process the BGB personnel killed him on the spot," added Das.

Das said the villagers succeeded in nabbing BGB personnel.

The captured border guard has been identified as Lutfur Rehman. He will be produced before a local court and charged with entering India without proper documents. (ANI)