At least five Border Security Force personnel were killed after one of the soldiers opened fire at his colleagues in Punjab’s Amritsar on Sunday, PTI reported. One soldier, who got wounded, is hospitalised and is in a critical condition.
The shooter was identified as Constable Satteppa SK, who was among those killed, according to NDTV. Satteppa was upset with his duty hours, The Indian Express reported, citing unidentified officials.
It has not been ascertained whether Satteppa shot himself, or someone else fired at him. “It could be a ricochet that killed the accused,” an unidentified official told PTI. “It is unclear as of now.”
Apart from Satteppa, the personnel who died are head constables Ram Binod, DS Toraskar, Rattan Singh and Baljinder Kumar, India Today reported. While Satteppa hailed from Karnataka, the four others were from Bihar, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.
Satteppa also fired at the vehicle of Satish Mishra, officiating commandant of the 144 Battalion, The Indian Express quoted unidentified officials as saying.
The incident took place between 9.30 am and 9.45 am at the Border Security Force battalion in Amritsar’s Khasa area, according to PTI. The locality is only 20 kilometres from the Attari-Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan.
A court of inquiry has been ordered, the Border Security Force said, according to The Indian Express.
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