4 soldiers killed with INSAS rifle and ax at Bathinda military station, suspicion of nepotism

New Delhi: Two “unidentified persons” armed with INSAS rifles and an ax killed four soldiers at the heavily guarded Bathinda military station in Punjab in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to sources in the defense and security establishment, the attack is a possible case of fratricide. He added that all the men have been placed in the unit, which means that – if it is a case of fratricide – the suspects have not left the camp.

Army officials are now focusing on identifying the possible attackers. The Punjab Police has denied having a terrorist angle in the attack.

The FIR filed by the Punjab Police states that Four jawans – Sagar Banne, Kamlesh R, Santosh Nagral and Yogesh Kumar J – were sleeping in their room after duty when two masked men dressed in white kurta pyjama attacked them. nearby 4.35 in the morning.

The FIR states that, after the attack, the two suspects fled into the forest area within the military station.

Where is the rifle located?

Defense and security sources said the search team recovered an INSAS rifle with a magazine.

An INSAS rifle along with a 28-round magazine went missing from the armory on Monday.

Sources said army personnel recovered 19 empty shells from the site of the attack. A joint team of the army and the police will now conduct a forensic analysis of the recovered weapon.

The Army’s South Western Command said in a statement that a joint investigation with the police was underway. It added that the four victims belonged to an artillery unit. It added that there were no reports of any other injuries to personnel or loss/damage to property.

Army Chief General Manoj Pandey informed Defense Minister Rajnath Singh about the situation.


Read also: Widow of fratricidal soldier wins case for higher pension in military court