The Army has initiated a court of inquiry against a major-rank officer who allegedly opened fire on his comrades and detonated a grenade inside a camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, officials said on Friday.
At least five officials, including three personnel, were injured in Thursday’s incident at Neely Post near Thana Mandi.
Officials said on Friday that military officers had rushed to the scene to assess the situation “in view of the misfortune”.
The erring officer has been taken into custody and is being questioned, officials said, adding that a court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident. The tense situation in the camp continued for about eight hours before the officer was subdued inside the armory late on Thursday evening.
Although the Army remained tight-lipped on the incident, it did post on X late Thursday night claiming that an official had been injured in a possible grenade mishap at a checkpoint in Rajouri.
“An officer was injured in a possible grenade mishap at an outpost in Rajouri sector on 05 Oct 23. The officer was evacuated and is stable after initial treatment. Further investigation into the incident is underway,” the Army’s White Knight Corps posted on X. .
Official sources said that firing had been going on in the camp for the past several days and the accused officer started firing on his colleagues and subordinates without any provocation on Thursday afternoon.
Later, he took shelter inside the camp’s armory and threw a grenade when the commanding officer along with his deputy and medical officer approached the building in an attempt to persuade him to surrender, sources said.
He said that the three officials were injured when a grenade thrown by the accused exploded near them.
Sources said two other soldiers were also injured in the indiscriminate firing by the accused before he was brought under control.
On the incident, Jammu-based Defense PRO Lt. Col. Sunil Bartwal said in a message, “I have received a call about firing/terrorist attack on a military camp in General Area Rajouri. I want to inform you that There has been no terrorist attack, this is an unfortunate incident inside the camp.
