Bartta Bistar
Tue, 13 Jun 2006 23:30:15 -0700
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Sentry kills four colleagues http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060614/asp/northeast/story_6348703.asp |
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OUR CORRESPONDENT |
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Imphal, June 13: An Assam Rifles sentry gunned down four colleagues last night in a burst of unexplained rage while on duty at a paramilitary post in Chandel district of Manipur. Bhagabat Sachikumar, a rifleman attached to the 44 Assam Rifles, was on duty at a post in Chandel along with two other personnel of the same rank and a couple of junior commissioned officers when he pulled the trigger on them, army spokesman Lt Col S.D. Goswami said. All four died before anybody could take them to hospital. The incident occurred at 9.45 pm. Col Goswami said Sachikumar appeared to be in a daze after his act and did not offer any resistance when he was apprehended and locked up in a quarter. "The accused is in a state of shock, having realised what he has done and its consequences." Although no reason was officially attributed to the rifleman's act, senior Assam Rifles officials indicated that a personal dispute between the accused and one of the other personnel had led to the firing. The accused allegedly had a heated argument with one of the four victims and the rest tried to calm him down just before he picked up the Insas rifle and opened fire. The bodies of the slain personnel were taken to the forensic wing of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences today for post-mortem. In an unrelated incident, militants exploded two powerful improvised explosive devices in the border township of Moreh, also in Chandel district, this morning. Nobody was injured in the explosions, which occurred within minutes of one another. Reports reaching here said the militants had planted the bombs at a spot just one km west of the state's border with Myanmar. The target was probably a team of the Assam Rifles. Personnel of the 24 Assam Rifles visit the spot every morning to collect water, the police said. A source in Moreh said the bombs could have killed several people. Fear of attacks by militants is omnipresent in Moreh, the hub of Indo-Myanmar trade. Several militant groups are known to have hideouts in the jungles near the town. The police have yet to ascertain the identity of the militant outfit behind the twin explosions. |
AR jawan goes berserk, shoots down 4 colleagues
The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Jun 13: Four personnel of Assam Rifles including two JCOs were killed and another received bullet injuries in a bizarre shooting incident last night at 44 Assam Rifles camp located some 1 km north east of Chandel police station. All the dead bodies were brought to RIMS morgue and post mortem were performed today.
The personnel were killed when a rifleman on sentry duty went berserk and shot at them last night at around 9.30 pm while they were sleeping in their barrack. Three of them died at the spot while out of two others injured one succumbed at military hospital at Leimakhong.
Non-granting of leave application is believed to be reason behind the action of the sentry.
A reliable source said, "There have a recent case of submission of an application by the rifleman for leave in which the same was rejected by the senior official." However, the same could not immediately confirmed.
"Rifleman Barbar Sashikumar of 44 Assam Rifles killed two Junior Commissioned Officers, two jawans including a havildar with his service rifle," said PRO, Defense while contacted regarding the incident. He further said the rifleman has been arrested and "investigation is on". Another rifleman also sustained injuries.
Lt Col Santanu Dev Goswami, PRO further added "it`s a running amok case."
Chandel police registered a "ran amok" case under section 302/326 of Indian Penal Code and section 27 of Arm and Ammunition Act after a complaint was lodged by a personnel of the AR at the camp located near the DC office Chandel, source said.
The alleged culprit was produced before the court today and remanded to police custody for further interrogation.
Source further reiterated that the incident took place last night at around 9.30 pm. The rifleman Barbar Shasikumar, who was on sentry duty at one of the sentry post open fired after entering a barrack. As a result three personnel died at their bed while two other sustained injuries of which one of them, who sustained multiple injuries, died later at the military hospital, Leimakhing. The condition of the lone surviving personnel is critical but stable, the source informed.
At least eighteen rounds were fired by the rifleman from the Insas rifle issued to him, the source added.
The slain JCOs were identified as JC no. 82714, subedar, Maniram Bahadur Chhetri, JC no. 320032, subedar Chandra Singh while the remaining two were identified as havilder no. 83649 Ramkumar Lama and rifleman no. 105249, Sanggram Kishore. Post mortem of the dead bodies were conducted at RIMS hospital this afternoon and received by the Assam Rifles Authority.
The injured rifleman was identified as Pravan Kumar Pandey. His rifleman no. being 105267.
AFSPA review panel`s report still under study`
The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Jun 13: Contrary to some reports appearing in the local media, the government of India has not rejected the report of the committee led by Justice BP Jeevan Reddy set up to review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, and the matter remains under examination.
This was clarified in a press statement issued by the state chief secretary today.
The statement said following the appearance of reports in some of the local media that the government of India had rejected the report/recommendations of the review committee about the repeal of the Act, the state government contacted the Central government immediately.
The Central government has confirmed that the report of the AFSPA review panel has not been rejected and the matter is under examination.
Hence, the media reports to the effect that the government of India had rejected the AFSPA review panel`s recommendations are baseless and without any merit, the chief secretary`s statement said.
It is worth mentioning here that reports to the effect that the government of India had rejected the AFSPA review panel`s recommendations for repeal of the draconian acts had appeared in some local newspapers on the basis of statements made by Union defence minister Pranab Mukherjee on a premier TV news channel.
The Union minister had reportedly stated that AFSPA would stay as the Army cannot function in the insurgency affected regions without it.
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