The four army jawans who were shot on April 12 as they slept in Bhatinda were killed by an insider, after he was allegedly sexually harassed and sodomized by them, a senior army officer said close to the Army’s investigation into the case.
No outside groups, including militant Sikhs, were implicated in the killings.
The four soldiers – Sagar Banne, Yogesh Kumar, Santosh and Kamlesh of 80 Medium Regiment (an artillery unit) – were reportedly shot dead as they slept by a recruited soldier called Desai Mohan, who worked with them in the officers’ mess of the unit.
The weapon used in the killings came from a “kote” or military arsenal.
Officials involved in the investigation say Desai Mohan told them he was regularly sodomized and abused by the four soldiers who were killed.
Ashamed and humiliated, he pulled out a gun and shot the four soldiers.
There is no connection between the murders and any militant Sikh group. The letter released by Sikh militant groups claiming responsibility is a lie, say army interrogators.
The server, Desai Mohan, is currently in custody.
Contacted for confirmation or comment, the military did not respond.