Srinagar, November 28
In a fit of anger after he was punished, a CRPF constable went on a shooting spree killing seven of his colleagues, including a company commander, and injuring two before being shot dead at the battalion headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district late last night.CRPF Inspector-General Ranjit Sinha told reporters that constable S. Deka fired indiscriminately killing company commander Sadu Ram, a sub-inspector, a head constable and four constables before he was shot dead inside the headquarters of the 152 battalion, he said.
Besides Sadu Ram, the other victims were sub-inspector Chandra Ram, head constable K.D. Sharma, constables Tariqnath Dey, Maria Pillay, Hardeep Singh and Kuldeep Singh.
CRPF Director-General J.K. Sinha said Deka, who was recruited in 2003, and was in Jammu and Kashmir on his first posting, was not present during the roll call and was reprimanded and given three days of “fatigue duty”, a kind of punishment.
He said CRPF Additional Director-General Shyam Mehra would inquire into the incident and submit his report in three days.
Mr Ranjit Sinha said, “We are examining all aspects that prompted the jawan to take the extreme step”.
Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal told reporters in Kanpur that it seemed that the jawan had taken the extreme step due to frustration or tension. He said the government would try to address the causes of frustration and tension among security personnel working in difficult areas.
Meanwhile, militants killed four persons, including two former colleagues and a counter-insurgent, in the Kashmir Valley, whereas the security forces recovered two kg of RDX since last evening, a police spokesman said today. —
PTI
