Four Army personnel were killed in a firing incident at the Bathinda military station in Punjab, India on April 12, 2023. The Punjab Police is investigating the matter along with military counterparts and the incident is not believed to be a terrorist act. The slain jawans have been identified as Sagar Banne, Kamalesh R, Yogesh Kumar J, and Santosh M Nagaral. The area continues to be sealed off and joint investigations with the Punjab Police are being coordinated to establish facts of the case. An FIR has been registered under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act, and no individual has been detained or apprehended so far. The Army and police joint teams will be undertaking forensic analysis of the missing INSAS rifle that has been found along with the magazine to ascertain further details.
According to the latest updates, the missing INSAS rifle has been found along with its magazine, but no individual has been detained or apprehended so far in connection with the incident. The joint team of the Army and police will conduct forensic analysis of the weapon to gather further details, including the balance number of rounds in the rifle. The investigation is still ongoing, and the area remains sealed off.
According to the Additional Director General of Police SPS Parmar and Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police Gulneet Singh Khurana, the incident is not a terrorist attack or an attack from outside. They have both stated that it is a “fratricidal incident” and “not a terrorist act”.
