Bathinda shooting: Arrested jawan threw the stolen rifle in the sewage pit, made up stories in FIR

Bathinda military shooting updates: The HQ South Western Command issued a statement on Monday, and revealed the chain of events leading up to the shooting at the Bathinda Military Station and the events afterwards. The police has apprehended a jawan who has confessed to his involvement in the shooting. 

“After sustained interrogation, one individual named Gunner Desai Mohan, from the Artillery unit where the incident occurred has confessed to his involvement in stealing of an INSAS rifle and killing four of his colleagues to the Police,” stated the South Western Command. As per initial investigations, he fired at his collegaues due to personal reasons/animosity. “It is reiterated that there is no terror angle as speculated earlier in some media reports,” it said in a statement. 

WHAT HAPPENED ON APRIL 12?

As per Mohan’s confession, he stole the INSAS rifle, along with a filled magazine on April 9. He then hid the weapon. 

On April 12, when he was on sentry duty, Mohan recovered the weapon from its hiding place, moved to the first floor and killed the four personnel in their sleep at around 4:30 am. 

He then threw the weapon at the sewage pit, which has since been recovered along with the additional ammunition. 

The statement he made while filing the initial FIR on April 12, mentioning two persons in civil dress with the INSAS rifle and an axe was an attempt to divert attention of the investigating agencies, said the  HQ South Western Command.

Mohan is currently in police custody and further details are being ascertained, it said. 

HQ South Western Command said that the Indian Army does not tolerate such acts of indiscipline and will ensure that the guilty is punished as per law. 

Also read: Bathinda Military Station firing: Insas rifle went missing two days before; lookout on for the involved

Also read: Military station shooting: Bathinda Police arrests Army jawan, to address media at 12 pm