A Border Security Force (BSF) officer went missing in Jammu city, prompting the police to launch a swift operation and trace him on Friday, officials said.
Information was received at the Domana police station about the disappearance of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Parmanand Hembram of the 7th Battalion of BSF in the city, and a report was lodged, they said.
Acting upon this, the police, with the help of technical assistance and human intervention, traced out the missing person on Saturday (May 4), they said.
After completing all legal formalities, he has been handed over to his battalion, they added.
The Border Security Force (BSF) is India’s border guarding organisation at its borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was formed in the wake of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 “for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for connected matters therewith”.
It has various active roles during an outbreak of war. CAPF facilitates a navy, air wing and an artillery regiment. It is under the control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, the BSF has a small force of officers or “Cadre”. Notably, the head designated Director-General (DG), has been an Indian Police Service officer since its establishment. The BSF has grown from 25 battalions in 1965, to 192 battalions with a sanctioned strength of 270,000 personnel including an expanding air wing, navy, an artillery regiment and specialised units. It is currently the world’s largest border security force. BSF has been termed the First Line of Defence of Indian territories.
Since the independence of India in 1947, the protection of India’s international boundaries was the responsibility of the local police belonging to each border state, with little inter-state coordination. However, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Pakistan attacked Sardar Post, Char Bet, and Beria Bet on 9 April 1965 in Kutch. This attack exposed the inadequacy of the State Armed Police to cope with armed aggression. Thus, after the end of the war, the government created the Border Security Force as a unified central agency with the specific mandate of guarding India’s international borders. This act brought greater cohesion in border security. K F Rustamji, from the Indian Police Service, was the first Director General of the BSF. Since it was a new force, the officers had to be deputed or inducted from outside to fill the various vacancies at various levels until the force’s own cadre matured sufficiently. It was for this reason that emergency commissioned officers and SS officers of the Indian Army were inducted in large numbers into the force along with IPS officers who were deputed to the force for high level appointments.
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