New Delhi: At least four CISF personnel were killed in an act of fratricide in J&K Kathua Tuesday evening when a constable opened fire with his service weapon, officials said.
The incident took place around 6.40 pm at the Sewa-II Hydroelectric Project unit in Kathua district, and the accused has since been handed over to the local police, CISF sources told ThePrint.
The accused has been identified as Avdesh Kumar Singh, a constable of the 2009 batch who was deployed with the Quick Reaction Team. He allegedly opened indiscriminate fire on his colleague and seniors with his AK-47 rifle carrying more than 100 rounds of ammunition, sources said.
Kathua Superintendent of Police Mohita Sharma said that Singh has been formally arrested after a case was registered under Section 103 (murder) of the BNS, and provisions of the Arms Act.
The indiscriminate firing led to four deaths, including that of Assistant Commandant Ankit Kumar Pandey. Along with him, Sub-Inspector Lakshman Singh and Constables Rafiq Ahmed and Sandeep Kumar died of bullet injuries.
“Initial reports indicate that an altercation or scuffle broke out among CISF personnel, following which gunfire took place. However, a detailed cause of the incident will be known only after an inquiry and criminal investigation,” a CISF official told ThePrint.
Sources said that the injured personnel were taken to an NHPC hospital on the Himachal Pradesh side, where they all succumbed to their injuries.
Operated by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC), the Sewa-II project is a 120-megawatt power station located on the banks of the Sewa river and is considered a key installation for the J&K government, with CISF personnel deployed for security.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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