Bathinda Military Station killings: Cops record statements of four armymen

Officials said that the cops had summoned 12 army personnel, and more may be invited to join the probe.

The statements of four armymen were recorded by the district police on Sunday, after the April 12 sensational killings of four Indian army jawans at Bathinda Military Station.

Soldiers stand guard near the Bathinda Military Station after the firing incident on Wednesday,April 12,2023. (HT File Photo)

Officials, privy to the investigation, said that the cops had summoned 12 army personnel, including the sole eyewitness Desai Mohan and Lance Naik Bhupdi Hariz, whose rifle and a magazine went missing from the military station under mysterious circumstances, for questioning and recording their statements.

Refusing to divulge names and ranks of all those summoned for questioning for the first time today, Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gulneet Khurana said more army personnel may be invited to join the probe based on the first round of investigation today.

Khurana refused to share details of today’s questioning.

Admitting to a delay in conducting a full-scale probe, SSP reasoned that firstly, the cops were preoccupied with law and order duty in the annual Baisakhi celebrations at Talwandi Sabo, and secondly, the army personnel were unavailable due to an ongoing Court Of Inquiry (CoI) instituted by the army authorities.

“But now our team is fully involved in the matter, and a breakthrough will be achieved soon,” he added.

“Soon after the police were informed about the murders, a team was dispatched to the military station on April 12. Several army personnel on duty, around the crime spot, were formally questioned. On Friday, a list of personnel was sent to the military station administration for the process to start the recording of statements. We were informed that a CoI was underway for the army’s internal audit on security and professional lapse, and the army personnel needed for questioning will be made available soon,” added Khurana.

Four soldiers — Sagar Banne, Kamlesh R, Santosh Nagaral, and Yogeshkumar J — were killed as they slept in their rooms behind the officer’s mess.

Desai Mohan, the sole eyewitness and soldier on duty, informed his superiors that he spotted two masked individuals, wearing white kurta-pyjamas, running away from the crime scene. They were reportedly wearing facemasks and one was holding an INSAS rifle, while the other was carrying an axe.

Investigators said CCTV footage of the campus scanned has not indicated any attempt of trespass. Police officials said they are yet to take a conclusive line of the probe as the matter is being investigated from all angles.

“Bathinda Military Base is a peace posting station where troops stay with their families. Besides the suspicion of professional reasons behind the killings, we are working to find any link to the personal lives that led to the incident,” the SSP said.

The additional director general of police (ADGP), Bathinda range, SPS Parmar, had earlier said it seemed to be a case of target killing as the assailants did not touch anyone else, and no damage was done to any property.

Bathinda superintendent of police (investigation) Ajay Gandhi said following laid down rules, the civil police is mandated to investigate any crime inside the defence area.

“We are getting full support from the military station as a joint probe is underway. Teams from civil and military police are in constant touch for exchange of developments and all other assistance,” added an official.

The army headquarters first made the killings public early morning on April 12. That day, the defence authorities released three updates, but after that, there has been no official update from the army.