Four Indian Army jawans — belonging to the 80 Medium Regiment and on guard duty in the Officers’ Mess — were killed in a firing incident reported inside Bathinda Military Station early on Wednesday. As per preliminary investigations, two “masked” men in kurta-payjama attacked the jawans — all in their twenties — when they were asleep in their barracks at 4.30 am, with an INSAS assault rifle and an axe.
A jawan saw the two unidentified men coming out of the barracks after the firing. The suspected attackers, who were of medium height, went towards a forested area near the barracks on seeing the jawan, according to the FIR.
Subsequently, two Army officers went inside the barracks and found Gunner Sagar Banne (25), Gunner Yogesh Kumar J (24) in a pool of blood. In another room, the bodies of Gunner Santosh M Nagaral (25) and Gunner Kamalesh R (24), were found. The bodies bore bullet marks, according to the FIR.
Banne and Nagaral hailed from Karnataka, while Kamalesh and Yogesh were from Tamil Nadu, police said.
From the spot of the incident, total 19 empty shells of INSAS rifle — believed to be the one went missing from the unit about two days back — were recovered from the spot.
The joint search team, comprising military and Bathinda district police, later located the INSAS assault rifle suspected to be the weapon used in the incident and the ammunition that went missing two days ago. The joint team is scanning the CCTV footage for vital clues.
According to “the information we have gathered so far, it is clear that it is not a terrorist act,” a senior police officer said.
Initially, the police suggested that it was an incident of “fratricide”. However, officials later said there was no clarity on the incident yet.
Army’s South Western command, in a statement, stated, “A search team has located the INSAS rifle along with the magazine. Army and Police Joint teams will now be undertaking forensic analysis of the weapon to ascertain further details. The balance number of rounds in the weapon will only be available after forensic analysis. A joint investigation with Punjab Police is in progress. All possible assistance is being provided. It is reiterated that no individual has been detained or apprehended.”
Meanwhile, Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Wednesday briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the Bathinda military station incident.
The Bathinda military station is the largest military base in Asia and home to the Army’s HQs 10 Corps. The pivot “Chetak” corps is responsible for defending India’s border with Pakistan in south Punjab and north Rajasthan.
The first information report (FIR), filed in the incident by 80 Medium Regiment’s Major Ashutosh Shukla, said that the firing was reported at 4.30 am and some unidentified masked men in kurta-pyjama were seen. The FIR said that one of the men had an INSAS assault rifle, while another carried an axe. They fled towards a jungle near the military station when an Army personnel saw them coming out of the officers’ mess, it added.
The police have registered a case against two unknown persons for their links in Bathinda Military Station firing case. Ruling out any terror attack angle to the incident, the police had maintained that it appeared to be an “internal” incident of the Army.
Punjab’s additional director general of police (ADGP) Surinder Pal Singh maintained that the shooting incident is not a terror case and a probe is being done on the matter.
The ADGP added that an FIR was lodged two-three days ago regarding the missing rifle and the matter was being investigated. “This is not a terrorist incident. Probe is being done. An FIR was lodged two-three days ago regarding the missing rifle and the matter is being investigated. We are in touch with Army officials,” he added.
Notably, an INSAS rifle — allotted in the name of Lance Naik Harish of the unit — had gone missing on April 9, and the same was being investigated by the unit itself.
Army headquarters, South Western Command, in a statement said, “It has been ascertained that in the unfortunate incident, four Army jawans of an artillery unit succumbed to gunshot injuries sustained during the incident. No other injuries to personnel or loss or damage to property have been reported.”
SP (Detective), Bathinda, Ajay Gandhi, member of the probing team, told the media that the four jawans were killed while they were asleep. “19 empty shells of INSAS rifle have been recovered,” said the SP.
The SP said that eyewitnesses have said that two people in civilian dress fired the shots and that nothing else is known about them. “We are carrying out a joint investigation with the military police,” he said, adding that the identity of the killers could not be revealed as the investigation was being carried out jointly with the Army.
It has also been learnt that the Army has also pressed into service hexacopters and drones to locate the assailants who killed the jawans. A cordon and search operation was also conducted at the station.
