A serving Army man has been arrested for opening fire at a physiotherapy centre in Jammu’s Sainik Colony, killing one woman and injuring two others in what investigators say was an attack driven by a rejected marriage proposal.
The accused, Naik Sher Singh, was posted at the Army’s Movement Control Office (MCO) at Jammu Tawi Railway Station. Police said he entered the centre on August 21 looking for a colleague he wished to marry. When he did not find her, he allegedly opened fire in rage.
Thirty-year-old Mehajbeen Aqil Sheikh of Mumbai’s Malad was killed in the attack. Her younger sister, 21-year-old Fatima Aqil, and 28-year-old Jaspreet Kaur of Ludhiana, were critically injured. Mehajbeen succumbed to her injuries on August 29 at Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu.
Crime Branch officials said Singh, a native of Hisar in Haryana, fired eight rounds from a pistol, though it is not yet clear whether the weapon was his official service firearm.
Initially, those running the physiotherapy centre told doctors the women were injured in a road accident. The victims were admitted under that account, and inquest proceedings were started. Only later did investigations confirm they had been shot.
An FIR was finally registered on September 18 under charges of murder and attempt to murder. “The role of police officials in the early handling of the case is also being probed,” Inspector General of Police (Crime) Sujeet Kumar said.
Three policemen have been suspended for alleged lapses, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed. The Crime Branch, now leading the probe, is investigating both the shooting and the cover-up attempts. Singh has been arrested, and officials said the source of his weapon is under scrutiny.
