A Court of Inquiry was ordered on Friday against an Army Major for allegedly opening fire on his colleagues and injuring five personnel, including three officers, inside a camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri, officials said.
Tension gripped areas around the Neeli post in the Thanamandi area on Thursday and senior officials rushed to the camp for first-hand information about the incident.
According to information gathered through various sources, the Major, who has been identified as ‘Prince’, created a hue and cry about a possible terror attack prompting his commanding officer to rush his second-in-command from Thanamandi, 18 km from the Neeli post.
Attempts were made to pacify the officer who seemed to be having panic attack. The officer ensured all weapons in the post were deposited in the armoury.
As soon as attempts were made to pacify him, he allegedly started firing indiscriminately and throwing grenades, injuring two middle-rung personnel and the unit’s second-in-command.
This prompted the commanding officer of the unit, along with the Regimental Medical Officer (RMO), to rush to the scene. They too were injured and reportedly suffered from splinter injuries.
The injured were taken to Thanamandi, from where three were airlifted to the Command Hospital in Udhampur.
The Major has been detained and is being questioned, the officials said, adding that a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
The tense situation at the camp lasted nearly eight hours before the officer was overpowered inside the armoury late last evening.
The army posted on X that an officer was injured in a likely grenade accident at a post in Rajouri.
“On 05 Oct 23 one officer was injured in a likely grenade accident at a post in Rajouri sector. Officer evacuated and stable post initial treatment. Further investigation of the incident in progress,” the White Knight Corps of the army posted on X.
Official sources said there was a firing practice session at the camp for the past several days and the accused officer started firing on his colleagues and subordinates without any provocation on Thursday afternoon.
Later, he took shelter inside the armoury of the camp and hurled grenades when the commanding officer, along with his deputy and the medical officer, moved near the building in an effort to persuade him to surrender, the sources said.
On the incident, Jammu-based defence PRO Lt Col Suneel Bartwal in a message said, “I have received calls about some firing/terrorist attack on army camp in General Area Rajouri. I would like to inform you that no terrorist attack has occurred, it is an unfortunate internal incident of the camp.”
PTI
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