Chhattisgarh Armed Force jawan shoots dead head constable in Kanker

Kanker, December 25

A head constable of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) was killed after his subordinate allegedly opened fire at him with a rifle in the state’s Kanker district on Sunday, police said.

The incident took place in the morning at a government college in Kanker where the CAF’s 11th battalion was deployed for security duty as a strong room was set up in the institute for the recently held bypoll to Bhanupratappur Assembly seat in the district, Superintendent of Police Shalabh Sinha said.

As per preliminary information, an argument broke out between constable Purushottam Singh and head constable Surendra Bhagat over some issue, following which Singh allegedly opened fire with an Insas rifle, he said.

Bhagat died on the spot in the firing, he added.

Singh subsequently locked himself in a room with the weapon. After senior officials persuaded him, he came out of the room following which he was taken into custody, the official said.

The reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained, he added.

Counting of votes for the December 5 bypoll to Bhanupratappur Assembly seat was held on December 8 at the government college where the strong room was set up.

After counting, the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are kept in the strong room for next 45 days, according to officials.

In a similar incident on November 8 last year, four jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and three others injured after their colleague opened fire at them in a camp of the paramilitary force in Sukma district.