Kolkata (PTI): A BSF inspector has been suspended and a departmental probe was initiated against him over allegations of rape of a lady constable at a border outpost in Kishanganj area in West Bengal, a senior official of the force said on Tuesday.

The inspector posted at Tungi border in Nadia district outpost allegedly raped a lady BSF constable inside the premises on February 19, he said.

The incident came to light following a tweet by TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh, who asked the BJP Bengal unit to react to it.

"The incident was reported on that day itself. The inspector was suspended and a departmental probe was initiated against him," the BSF official said.

The lady constable was sent for a medical examination at a government hospital. She has also lodged an FIR, he said.

Ghosh tweeted, "A lady BSF constable has been raped by BSF Commander in Krishnagunj, Nadia Camp. BSF brought the victim to SSKM; then a zero FIR has been lodged in Bhabanipur PS. The Commander is suspended. Now, what will BJP say?"

The BJP-led central government amended the BSF Act in 2021 to authorise the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch, instead of 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam. It snowballed into a major political issue in Bengal with the ruling TMC passing a resolution in the state assembly opposing the Centre's decision.

The BSF official when asked declined to divulge further details about the BSF inspector till the departmental probe is over.
"We have zero tolerance towards such allegations," he asserted.

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Baghdad, Feb 25 (AP): Former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, known for promoting the rule of law, returned to Baghdad Tuesday for the first time in more than two years despite ongoing security threats.

In 2021, he survived an assassination attempt in which two armed drones targeted his residence in Baghdad's Green Zone area. The attack came at a time of tensions sparked by the refusal of Iran-backed militias to accept parliamentary election results.

Al-Kadhimi left Iraq after his term as prime minister ended in 2022 and has been living in London and the United Arab Emirates.

The former prime minister did not immediately make any public statements upon his return.

Three officials with his office who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly said security threats against the former prime minister were still present. They said he had returned at the invitation of current Iraqi political leaders who hoped he could use his connections to help them confront a worsening economic crisis that threatens the country's stability.

Al-Kadhimi has good relations with the United States and Saudi Arabia. Iraq is currently looking to strengthen ties with both countries, particularly as regional upheavals over the past year have left Iran in a weakened position.

During his term, Baghdad hosted a series of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which helped pave the way for the regional rivals to formally restore diplomatic ties in 2023 after a seven-year rift. He was Iraq's former intelligence chief before becoming prime minister in 2020 following mass anti-government protests that toppled the previous cabinet.

Iraq is also set to hold parliamentary elections later this year, raising the possibility that al-Kadhimi might be preparing to attempt a political come-back.