C'garh: CRPF jawan shoots dead colleague, injures another

A Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) personnel was killed and another was injured when acolleague opened fire on them in Chhattisgarh's Bastardistrict on Friday morning, police said.

The assailant, who was undergoing treatment for mentalhealth issues, later tried to commit suicide by shootinghimself, they said.

The incident took place at 8 am in the camp of CRPF's241st 'Bastariya' battalion at Sedwa village under Darbhapolice station limits, 330 km from state capital Raipur,Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P toldPTI.

Constable Girish Kumar (25), who had been admitted toisolation ward of the camp for treatment of mental ailment,snatched a rifle from his colleague and opened fire, the IGsaid.

''Constable Pramod Kumar Sori (27), who hailed fromNarayanpur district, died on the spot, while constable SantoshVacham (26), resident of Bijapur district, sustainedinjuries,'' he said.

Subsequently Girish Kumar shot himself and sufferedgrievous injuries, the senior police officer said.

Kumar hails from Sukma district of the state.

Kumar and Vacham were shifted to a hospital inJagdalpur and later airlifted to Raipur and admitted to aprivate hospital, Sundarraj said.

The motive behind Kumar's actions was beingascertained, he said.

The central paramilitary force is extensively deployedin Bastar region to deal with Naxal terrorism.

Bastariya battalion is a special contingent ofyoungsters recruited from Naxal-affected districts.

In a similar incident of fratricide, a ChhattisgarhArmed Force (CAF) personnel had opened fire on his colleaguesin the state's Narayanpur district on May 29, 2020, killingtwo and injuring another personnel.