ITBP jawan picked up fellow troopers' rifle to kill others: Sources

Preliminary investigation into the alleged fratricide incident at a Chhattisgarh ITBP camp found that the jawan who shot dead five of his colleagues had used another troopers' gun, sources said on Thursday.

Constable Masudul Rahman had a "dispute" with the five jawans and he randomly picked up Constable Bijeesh's AK-47 rifle to shoot them on Wednesday, they said.

Rahman did not have his weapon as he had deposited it at the unit's armoury after his leave was sanctioned, the official sources said.

Initial investigation also shows that Rahman was killed during an exchange of fire between him and Constable Surjit Sarkar, they said.

Constables Bijeesh and Sarkar are among the personnel killed. The others are Constable Biswarup Mahato, and head constables Mahender Singh and Daljit Singh.

Two jawans were also injured.

On Wednesday, an ITBP spokesperson had said the main accused, Rahman, had shot himself dead after killing five others in their Kedenar village camp in Narayanpur district at around 8:30 am.

Officials said Rahman had been granted leave and he was supposed to go home on the day the fratricidal killings took place.

Rahman had stated to his unit commander in July that he will avail leave to go home in December, they said.

"He (Rahman) had some dispute with some troops. There had been some altercation between them in the past. The exact reasons are unknown as of now," the officials said.

The force has ordered for a Court of Inquiry (CoI) into the incident that will be conducted under the supervision of a Deputy Inspector General (DIG)-rank officer, they said.

Out of the two injured, constable S B Ullas is critical while constable Sita Ram Doon is stated to be out of danger.

The troops belong to the 45th battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) that is deployed in the state for conducting anti-Naxal operations.