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Four Army Jawans Killed in Bathinda: What We Know So Far

The Wire Staff
Apr 12, 2023
It is not clear who could be behind the killings. Bathinda is an important military establishment as it is the headquarters of 10 Corps, one of the three strike corps of the Army, and is also strategically located.

New Delhi: More than 16 hours after four jawans were killed in a military barrack in Bathinda on Wednesday, April 9, a clear picture has still not emerged about the incident. While the first information report (FIR) registered by police in Punjab says that the assailants were dressed in kurta-pyjamas and fled into the forest that is adjacent to the cantonment, the cops have ruled out a terror angle.

Army and police officials also admit that a stolen INSAS [Indian Small Arms System] rifle – the standard infantry weapon of the Indian armed forces for decades – might have been used to kill the jawans. This has only added to the mystery surrounding the entire episode.

The FIR, registered based on a complaint lodged by Major Ashutosh Shukla of the 80 Medium Regiment of Artillery with the Bathinda police, says that the four Army jawans were killed at around 4:35 am on Wednesday. The assailants were armed with an INSAS rifle and an axe and were wearing kurta-pyjamas, and their faces were covered with a cloth, the complaint says.

According to the Indian Express, the four jawans were staying in a barrack adjacent to the officers’ mess.

Meanwhile, in an update at 6 pm, the Army’s South Western Command said that a search team located an INSAS [Indian Small Arms System] rifle and cartridge. The rifle will be examined forensically by a joint Punjab Police and Indian Army team, the report added.

Earlier reports had suggested that an INSAS rifle along with 28 rounds was reported missing two days ago. Major Shukla’s complaint says that the Army also strongly suspects that the jawans were killed with the stolen rifle, which went missing from the unit on April 9.

Major Shukla’s complaint says that the four jawans were sleeping in their rooms in pairs of two after completing their duty on Tuesday night, according to IE. At around 4:35 am, the major was informed by another jawan of the unit that there was a firing incident at the barrack.

The complaint says that when Major Shukla reached the spot along with another officer of the unit, he saw “two men of medium height and good build, wearing kurta-pyjamas, with one of them having an INSAS rifle in his hand and another with an axe”. Their faces and heads were covered with cloth, the complaint states. The duo “fled from the spot on seeing him and ran towards an adjacent forest”.

The bodies of the four jawans were riddled with bullets and empty shells that were of the INSAS rifle were lying on the ground. The slain jawans have been identified as Sagar Banne (25), Yogesh Kumar J. (24), Santosh M, Nagaral (25) and Kamalesh R. (24), according to The Tribune. Two of them were from Karnataka and the other two were from Tamil Nadu.

Bathinda is an important military establishment. It is home to the headquarters of 10 Corps, which is one of the three strike corps of the Indian Army. The South Western Command, which is based in Jaipur, is responsible for the operational control of this corps.

Apart from the headquarters of 10 Corps, Bathinda also houses a number of other important Army units and static establishments. These include various training institutes, ammunition depots, and logistics units. The military station at Bathinda also is at a strategic location as it is near the border with Pakistan and is close to important transportation routes. This makes it an important base for the Indian Army’s operations in the region.

The Army, in its 6 pm update, reiterated that no individual has been detained or apprehended in connection with the killings.

The Punjab Police had earlier said that 19 shells were recovered from the military station. Bathinda SP (Investigation) Ajay Gandhi ruled out a terror angle in the incident, according to Hindustan Times. “Matter is under investigation. We are in constant touch with the authorities of the military station for an in-depth probe,” Bathinda SSP Gulneet Khurana said, according to the report.

Khurana said on Wednesday evening, “As per the information we have gathered so far, it is clear that it is not a terrorist act.” Earlier in the day, Khurana had said, according to The Tribune, “It is an internal issue, it appears to be fratricidal issue. Our investigation teams have reached inside (military station) with all forensic equipment and they are conducting investigations. In-depth investigations are going on.”

The Tribune also quoted an anonymous Army officer as saying, “A court of inquiry will investigate the entire matter to establish the facts of the case and fix responsibility.”

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