Felani Khatun killing case: BSF jawan acquitted on re-trial

A special BSF court has acquitted upon retrial a jawan of the border guarding force in a case of the alleged illegal killing of a Bangladeshi girl in 2011 which is being followed with great interest by the two neighbours.
Sources said that the General Border Security Force court in West Bengal's Cooch Behar acquitted Constable Amiya Ghosh of the charges, finding him "not guilty" in its verdict yesterday.
Ghosh was brought to a second round of trial earlier this week after he was exonerated following similar proceedings in 2013.
However, the latest decision is subject to revision and approval by an Additional Director General rank officer, also the competent authority, of the force based in the eastern theatre of the country here.

In 2013, the same authority had "not agreed" with the findings of the court and ordered a revision trial in the case after Bangladesh made its displeasure known and took the matter up with top echelons of the force in Delhi.
The case pertains to the killing of a Bangladeshi girl, Felani Khatun, on January 7, 2011, in the Choudharyhat border post area in Cooch Behar district with Ghosh alleged to have shot her in an illegal way.
The incident had created an uproar about the conduct of the force on the border and a number of questions were raised after a General Security Force Court on September 9, 2013, held trooper Ghosh "not guilty".

Fifteen-year-old Felani was allegedly crossing the border illegally on the fateful day with her father.