Four Central Industrial Security Force personnel, including an Assistant Commandant, were killed after a colleague allegedly opened fire at a CISF camp at a hydropower project in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Tuesday evening.
The incident took place around 7 pm at the Sewa Hydel Power Project in Mashka village in the Basohli area, near the Himachal Pradesh border. The CISF personnel were deployed to guard the project.
The accused Head Constable, identified in reports as Avdesh or Abhidesh Kumar Singh, was overpowered by his colleagues and arrested. His service rifle was also seized.
Four CISF Personnel Killed in Firing
The deceased have been identified as Assistant Commandant Ankit Kumar Pandey, Sub Inspector Lakshman Singh, and constables Sandeep Kumar and Mohammad Rafiq.
The four personnel were critically injured in the firing and were taken to a nearby NHPC hospital in Himachal Pradesh, where they later died.
According to preliminary information, an argument among CISF personnel preceded the firing. The exact circumstances that led to the confrontation are still being investigated.
Dispute Reportedly Over Bringing Child to Project Site
The Indian Express reported that the accused and his wife both work for the CISF and were posted at the same site on different shifts.
A police officer investigating the incident told the newspaper that the couple would bring their toddler to the project site when one parent reported for duty and the other returned home.
The officer said the couple had been asked not to bring the child to the site. On Tuesday, when the child was reportedly present, someone complained to the company commander, leading to an argument.
The report said the dispute then escalated, with Singh allegedly opening fire using his service rifle.
However, authorities have not officially established this as the final cause of the shooting.
CISF Orders Court of Inquiry
Senior CISF and police officers reached the site after the incident. Police and CISF teams are questioning personnel present at the camp to establish the sequence of events.
CISF headquarters has also ordered a Court of Inquiry into the incident, according to reports. The Director General of CISF is monitoring the investigation.
