Noora Rathwa (42), from the Border Security Force (BSF), was at Lalgarh, Nandigram, in Malda district, West Bengal, on patrol duty. He rushed home on July 13 after he came to know that his 18-year-old daughter had eloped away, and later died in police custody over an argument over filing a police complaint.

Rathwa’s wife Ramila, while awaiting his body after the postmortem at Vadodara’s SSG Hospital on Saturday, said: “Had he been killed on the border, he would have been given a state funeral. But what can one do when the enemy is right next to home?”

Attached with the 36th Battalion, Rathwa was posted in West Bengal to fight the Naxal menace. However, he allegedly had to bear the batons and the blows of the policemen from his own village Hamirpura, one-and-a half km from Kwant where he died. Rathwa died on Friday evening, as his fellow villagers testified at Kwant police station, around 140 km from Vadodara.

On Saturday, not just Hamirpura, but Kwant too remained tense as one State Reserve Police (SRP) battalion from Vadodara along with policemen from other talukas was brought, fearing backlash from the villagers. Meanwhile, all the 10 policemen including Sub Inspector R H Chauhan have been taken off duty with the charge given to the Circle Inspector from Chhota Udepur.

“We have not yet suspended them as investigations and the autopsy report are still pending. They are now off duty,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police R P Chaudhary, who was taking the stock of the situation at the Kwant police station.

... contd.