RAIPUR: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was killed and another was injured when a colleague opened fire on them in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on Friday morning, police said.
The assailant, who was undergoing treatment for mental health issues, later tried to commit suicide by shooting himself, they said.
The incident took place at 8 am in the camp of CRPF’s 241st ‘Bastariya’ battalion at Sedwa village under Darbha police station limits, 330 km from state capital Raipur, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.
Constable Girish Kumar (25), who had been admitted to isolation ward of the camp for treatment of mental ailment, snatched a rifle from his colleague and opened fire, the IG said.
“Constable Pramod Kumar Sori (27), who hailed from Narayanpur district, died on the spot, while constable Santosh Vacham (26), resident of Bijapur district, sustained injuries,” he said.
Subsequently Girish Kumar shot himself and suffered grievous injuries, the senior police officer said.
Kumar hails from Sukma district of the state.
Kumar and Vacham were shifted to a hospital in Jagdalpur and later airlifted to Raipur and admitted to a private hospital, Sundarraj said.
The motive behind Kumar’s actions was being ascertained, he said.
The central paramilitary force is extensively deployed in Bastar region to deal with Naxal terrorism.
Bastariya battalion is a special contingent of youngsters recruited from Naxal-affected districts.
In a similar incident of fratricide, a Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) personnel had opened fire on his colleagues in the state’s Narayanpur district on May 29, 2020, killing two and injuring another personnel. (agencies)
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