Sole witness Army jawan detained in Bathinda military station firing case

Days after four Army personnel were killed in firing at Bathinda Military Station in Punjab, the police detained a jawan in connection with the incident, officials said on Monday.

Four Army jawans were killed in their sleep in the firing incident which took place on April 12.

According to Punjab Police, four jawans were interrogated in connection to the incident on Sunday.

Punjab Police had registered a case against two unknown persons in connection with the firing at the Bathinda Military Station.

The FIR was registered on the basis of the statement of Major Ashutosh Shukla, a witness in the firing incident.

The FIR said the four slain jawans have been identified as Sagar, Kamlesh, Santosh and Yogesh.

They were asleep in their rooms post the end of duty when two masked men, in white kurta pyjamas, attacked them with rifles and sharp-edged weapons. The four jawans were found in a pool of blood in their rooms.

The police informed that one of the weapons used in the crime was seized.

Four army personnel of an artillery unit succumbed to gunshot injuries sustained during the incident.

According to the Army statement, no other injuries to personnel or damage to property have been reported in the incident.

The Army said an INSAS rifle along with 28 rounds were reportedly missing for the past two days and some personnel might be behind this incident.

Following the incident, the area was cordoned off and the army was conducting a joint investigation with the Punjab Police to establish the facts of the case.

Sources said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also received a briefing on the incident from Army Chief General Manoj Pandey.