A "drunk" jawan allegedly shot dead two CRPF personnel, including an officer, and injured another at his camp in poll-bound Jharkhand, officials said on Tuesday, in the second incident of fratricide in the central armed police forces in less than a week.
The incident took place at the ‘charlie’ company of the 226th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force in Bokaro on Monday around 9:30 pm, they said.
The CRPF unit was deployed for polls in Jharkhand, where voting for two phases has been completed and three more are to be held.
A senior CRPF officer said the reason that triggered the shooting was not known yet. But other officials claimed constable Deepender Yadav was drunk when he started the shooting.
They identified those killed as Assistant Commandant Shahul Harshan B, 28, and Assistant Sub-Inspector Purnanand Bhuyan, 47. Constable Yadav is among the two injured.
The injured have been moved out to the state capital Ranchi.
Senior CRPF and state police officials have reached the camp and a Court of Inquiry (CoI) has been ordered.
On 4 December, an ITBP soldier allegedly opened fire at his colleagues in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district and killed five personnel and injured two. He then killed himself.
A preliminary investigation has found the soldier had a "dispute" with the five he killed, sources have said.
The sources have added that the ITBP soldier had stated to his unit commander in July that he will avail leave to go home in Dec.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)