CHANDIGARH: Five personnel of Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were killed and another seriously injured after their colleague allegedly opened fire at the force's camp at Khasa near Amritsar.
Sources said that fratricide was reported at the barracks of the 114 Battalion (Battalion) of the BSF headquarters’ in Khasa near Amritsar about twenty kilometres from the Attari-Wagah border. A constable Sateppa SK hailing from Karnataka who allegedly opened fire with his duty weapon on his own colleagues before turning the weapon on himself was among the five personnel killed. "He also fired at the vehicle of a senior officer of the 144 Battalion,’’ an officer on condition of anonymity.
The incident occurred at 10 am and victims were declared brought dead at two hospitals at Amritsar around 11 am. The deceased are all four head constables Rattan Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, Baljinder Kumar of Panipat in Haryana, Toraskar DS from Maharastra, Ram Binod from Bihar besides Sateppa himself. Meanwhile, one trooper was critically wounded and is undergoing treatment at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital under heavy police security.
The preliminary reports suggested that a Sateppa shot his colleagues as he was upset with his long duty hours and yesterday he had an argument with a senior BSF officer, but to no avail, said sources.
A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts. After the incident, the senior BSF officials rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation.
In a statement, BSF stated, "In an unfortunate incident, 5 BSF troops were injured on March 6, due to fratricide committed by Ct Satteppa SK at HQ 144 Bn Khasa, Amritsar, Satteppa SK was also injured in the incident. Out of the 6 injured, 5, including Satteppa, have lost their lives. One of the injured is critical. A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts."
Senior Superintendent of Police of Amritsar Rural Deepak Hilori said, "a case has been registered in this regard under sections 302 of IPC and statements are being recorded as investigations are going on in the case."
Khasa is one of the busiest headquarters of the BSF in the state as the Integrated Check Post at the Attari border on the Indo-Pak border comes under its jurisdiction and also the charge of the beating retreat ceremony.