JK, Kathua, Sept. 29 (ITN) : A wave of shock has gripped the security establishment after four Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, including a high-ranking officer, were shot dead by a colleague inside a security camp in the remote Mashka-Basohli belt of Kathua district on Tuesday evening.
The incident, classified as a severe case of fratricidal violence, occurred around 6:40 PM at the security camp of the strategically vital Sewa-III Hydroelectric Power Project, located near the Jammu and Kashmir-Himachal Pradesh border.
According to official sources, a heated altercation broke out among the personnel deployed at the camp. The dispute escalated violently when a Head Constable allegedly picked up his service weapon and opened fire indiscriminately on his colleagues.
The deceased have been identified as Assistant Commandant Ankit Kumar Pandey, Sub-Inspector Lakshman Singh, Constable Rafiq Ahmed, and Constable Sandeep Kumar.
The victims sustained multiple critical gunshot wounds in the sudden gunfire. They were immediately evacuated to a nearby National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) hospital across the border in Himachal Pradesh. However, they later succumbed to their grievous injuries.
Following the shooting, local police and security forces rushed to the site and quickly cordoned off the area. The suspected shooter was successfully disarmed, cornered, and taken into custody. He has been handed over to the local police for further legal proceedings.
Senior police and security officials have visited the remote, difficult terrain of the Mashka village to oversee the preliminary investigation. While the exact motive behind the sudden confrontation remains unknown, the CISF has initiated a high-level inquiry to reconstruct the timeline of events and determine what triggered the fatal dispute.
Report : Mansoor Qadir, J&K.
