Bathinda Military Station killings: Police say no clues yet on assailants

Police on Friday said they are coordinating with the Army in connection with the killing of four soldiers at the Bathinda Military Station earlier this week but there has been no breakthrough.

The Army jawans were killed in their sleep in the firing which took place in their barracks early Wednesday morning.

The next day, the Army reported the death of another soldier who succumbed to a gunshot wound at the same base, but said it was not linked to the initial case. Officials suggested it could be a case of suicide or accidental firing.

A massive hunt was launched for two unidentified men seen near the site of the firing in which the four jawans were killed.

But no breakthrough has been reported.

“There is no clue yet. We are coordinating with the Army authorities,” Bathinda Cantonment SHO Gurdeep Singh said.

When contacted, another Bathinda police official said, “There is no further update other than the facts about the case which are already in public domain.” According to the FIR, a jawan saw two unidentified men in white kurta-pyjamas, their faces and heads covered with cloth, coming out of the barracks after the firing.

One of them was carrying an INSAS rifle and the other an axe, the jawan said, according to the FIR.

The suspects went towards a forested area near the barracks on seeing the jawan, the FIR said.

Later, two Army officers went inside the barracks and found Sagar Banne (25) and Yogesh Kumar J (24) in a pool of blood. In another room, the bodies of Santosh M Nagaral (25) and Kamalesh R (24) were found.

The bodies bore bullet marks. It is suspected that an INSAS rifle, which was reported missing along with 28 rounds earlier this week, was used in the firing.

Nineteen empty shells of an INSAS rifle were found at the spot. The weapon was also found later.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)