On April 13, the Khalistani terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice piggybacked on the recent shooting incident at Bathinda Army Station and tried to use that to push the demand for a separate Khalistan.
In a 48-second long video, Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu said, “Remember, political power comes from the barrel of the gun. There will not be any peace in India unless we liberate Punjab from Indian occupation through the Khalistan referendum.”
Pannu further urged Sikh soldiers in Indian Army to converge on Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sago, on April 14 to support the Khalistan referendum by the terrorist Sikhs for Justice organisation. “There will not be any peace in India unless we create Khalistan and liberate Punjab from Indian occupation,” he repeated. The video is being shared widely by Pakistani handles.
Two masked men wearing kurta-pajamas killed four Army jawans in Bathinda
On April 12, four Indian Army jawans were brutally killed by two assailants possibly using an INSAS rifle that was reported stolen two days before the incident. The hunt for the assailants is still on and the security agencies have refuted the media reports that two persons were detained in the matter. In a statement, Bathinda SP (Investigation) Ajay Gandhi said two persons in civil dress were believed to be behind the shooting.
The jawan who reported the incident saw two unidentified men wearing white kurta-pajama coming out of the barracks after the attack. They were wearing face masks and their heads were covered. As per the jawan, one of them was carrying an INSAS rifle while the other was carrying an axe.
The suspects were of medium height and escaped into a forested area near the barracks. When the army officials rushed to the spot, they found 24-year-old Yogesh Kumar J and 25-year-old Sagar Banne in a pool of blood. Upon checking the other room, they found the bodies of 25-year-old Santosh M Nagaral and 24-year-old Kamalesh R. Two of them were from Karnataka while the other two were from Tamil Nadu.
The FIR in the matter was based on the complaint filed by Army Major Ashutosh Shukla at Bathinda Cantt Police Station under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant Sections of the Arms Act.
The investigation into the matter is underway. The Army is conducting a cordon-and-search operation to nab the assailants. The whole area has been sanitised. CCTV footage is being scanned to find further clues.
The Punjab Police has said in a statement that it was not a terrorist attack but a fratricidal incident. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been briefed about the incident.
Another soldier dies at Bathinda station
In an unrelated matter, another soldier stationed at the Bathinda station reportedly died of a gunshot wound after his weapon was accidentally fired. He was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to the injuries. The soldier had returned to the station from leave on April 11.
