Entrance of the Bathinda military station. (Photo via Twitter)
Bathinda/Jaipur/New Delhi: The Bathinda Police and the Indian Army, on Monday, has said the killer of the four soldiers in the Bathinda military station, on April 12, has confessed to have committed the crime. It was none other than Gunner Desai Mohan, who initially told investigators that he saw two masked men – one with an Insas assault rifle and another with an axe – were fleeing the crime scene towards a wooded area.
Gulneet Singh Khurana, senior superintendent of Bathinda Police, while briefing the media jointly with the Army, said Desai Mohan was detained after he changed his statements frequently. He said that on early morning of April 9, Desai Mohan stole the weapon along with a filled magazine. He then hid the weapon. At around 4.30am on April 12, while he was on sentry duty, he recovered the weapon from its hiding place, moved to the first floor, and killed all four personnel while they were asleep.
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He then proceeded to throw the weapon into the sewage pit. It may be recalled that the weapon and additional ammunition were recovered on the same day the killings took place.
The police further said Desai Mohan’s story of seeing two men in civilian dress carrying an Insas rifle and an axe was an attempt to divert attention of investigating agencies.
According to the Army’s South Western Command, initial investigations indicate that this was apparently due to personal reasons/animosity. It said the accused is currently in police custody and further details are being ascertained.
The Army further reiterated that there is no terror angle as speculated earlier in some media reports. It also requested the media to avoid rumours and refrain from speculation.
Colonel Ajai Shukla (retired), who is a well-known defence journalist, in a report quoting a senior Army officer who is “close to the Army’s investigation into the case”, said Desai Mohan told the investigators that he was being “regularly sodomized and abused” by the four slain soldiers.
“Ashamed and humiliated, he drew a rifle and shot dead the four soldiers,” Col Shukla reported.
The four soldiers Desai Mohan allegedly killed were Gunner Sagar Banne, Gunner Kamalesh R, Gunner Yogeshkumar J and Gunner Santosh M Nagral. All of them were in their mid-20s and belonged to a unit of the Army’s Regiment of Artillery. Of them, two belonged to Karnataka while two were natives of Tamil Nadu.
