Kolkata: BSF commander killed by cattle smugglers in Tripura buried with full honours

A Border Security Force official who was killed by suspected cattle smugglers in Tripura, was cremated in Kolkata on Saturday.

The BSF in a series of tweets paid homage to Deepak K Mondal, saying, "Untimely demise of a Son, Husband, Father. Nothing can make up the irreparable loss...Prahari Pariwar stands firm with the family of Martyr."

DG and all ranks #BSF salute Shaheed Deepak Kumar Mandal Second in Command.
Officer breathed his last today 1145 hrs in Kolkata
1/n pic.twitter.com/FNkH5BHxNG

— BSF (@BSF_India) October 20, 2017

2/2
He was injured on 16th October '17, when he tried to stop a brazen smuggling attempt on Tripura border.

— BSF (@BSF_India) October 20, 2017

Wreath laying Ceremony to Shaheed Deepak Kumar Mandal Second in Command in #BSF campus #Kolkata #BharatKeVeer pic.twitter.com/EVx7NzADzo

— BSF (@BSF_India) October 21, 2017

Untimely demise of a Son, Husband, Father
Nothing can make up the irreparable loss...
Prahari Pariwar stands firm with the family of Martyr pic.twitter.com/Dp6SHV3fJb

— BSF (@BSF_India) October 21, 2017

The second-in-command rank officer, Deepak K Mondal, commanding the 145th battalion of the border guarding forcewas air evacuated to Kolkata on October 16 due to critical injuries, a senior official said. He died on Friday.

The incident took place at about 2 am near the Belardeppa border post in the Sipahijala district of Tripura earlier this week when the officer was allegedly hit by a four-wheeler used by the smugglers.

The BSF officer was patrolling the "unfenced" area along the international border with his team to check cattle smuggling and other illegal activities.

Mondal saw some cattle smugglers and challenged them, BSF officials had said, adding the officer along with his guard and driver tried to stop them.

The group of about 25 smugglers were carrying bricks, lathis and machetes, they said.

"When challenged, the smugglers tried to gherao the officer and the patrol party. The smugglers' vehicle hit the officer from behind and he sustained severe injury to his head and legs," the officials said.

An accompanying BSF jawan had fired five rounds from his AK rifle to control the situation, they added. 

With PTI Inputs