Sole Eyewitness In Bathinda Military Station Killings Held As Suspect

The sole eyewitness in the sensational killings of four Indian army jawans at Bathinda Military Station has been held as a suspect, police said on Monday.

Bathinda senior superintendent of police Gulneet Khurana confirmed that Desai Mohan, who had claimed to have spotted two masked men in white kurta-pyjamas near the crime scene, has turned accused in the case. Police will share further details around noon.

Desai Mohan was among four jawans summoned for questioning by the Bathinda police on Sunday. He had informed his superiors that two masked individuals wearing white kurta-pyjamas were fleeing the crime scene.

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 had said.

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

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.