Nakashipara: The ITBP constable who allegedly shot dead five of his colleagues in Chhattisgarh did not commit suicide as claimed by the authorities but was killed, his family members asserted on Thursday after his body reached home in Nadia district.
The family members of Masudul Rahman, 28, said they were planning for his marriage and had also chosen a bride. "He was shot from behind. We have checked his body.
Can anyone fire himself at the back while committing suicide?" asked the Indo-Tibetan Border Police constable's brother Mizanur Rahaman after the body was buried.
He demanded an investigation to find out how he died. Rahman had opened fire from his service weapon, killing five troopers and injuring two others following some
unknown dispute among them. The incident took place in a camp of the ITBP's 45th battalion at a village in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh.
Following the incident on Wednesday, the ITBP Bastar range IG Sundarraj P had initially said it was not clear whether Rahman killed himself or died in retaliation by his colleagues.
ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey later said in New Delhi that Rahman killed his colleagues and then shot himself dead, adding that the constable was not shot by other troops.
"One of the officers told me my brother did not have any bad record. We want a proper probe and eager to know (how he died)," Mizanur Rahaman said.
Accompanied by ITBP personnel, Masudul Rahman's mortal remains reached his Bilkumari village home under Nakashipara police station area of Nadia district in the afternoon.
The body was later buried after a funeral procession in the village.
Masudul's mother Hanifa Bibi said the reason behind the incident could be non-sanctioning of leaves to his son. "When I called his number on Wednesday, the phone
continued to ring. After some time, someone received it and aid he was on duty and would be available at 5 pm. But later, the bad news came," she said.
"We were planning for his marriage and have found a good match. Now, everything is shattered," his father Marfat Seikh said.
Preliminary investigation into the incident had found that the jawan who shot dead five of his colleagues had used another troopers' gun, sources said on Thursday.
Constable Masudul Rahman had a "dispute" with the five jawans and he randomly picked up Constable Bijeesh's AK-47 rifle to shoot them on Wednesday, they said.
Rahman did not have his weapon as he had deposited it at the unit's armoury after his leave was sanctioned, the official sources said.
Initial investigation also shows that Rahman was killed during an exchange of fire between him and Constable Surjit Sarkar, they said.
Constables Bijeesh and Sarkar are among the personnel killed. The others are Constable Biswarup Mahato, and head constables Mahender Singh and Daljit Singh. Two jawans were also injured.
Officials said Rahman had been granted leave and he was supposed to go home on the day the fratricidal killings took place.
Rahman had stated to his unit commander in July that he will avail leave to go home in December, they said.
"He (Rahman) had some dispute with some troops. There had been some altercation between them in the past. The exact reasons are unknown as of now," the officials had said.
The force has ordered for a Court of Inquiry (CoI) into the incident that will be conducted under the supervision of a Deputy Inspector General (DIG)-rank officer, they said.
Out of the two injured, constable S B Ullas is critical while constable Sita Ram Doon is stated to be out of danger.
The troops belong to the 45th battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) that is deployed in the state for conducting anti-Naxal operations.
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