भारत

As search for soldiers’ killers enters 3rd day, Bathinda military station turns into fortress

Soldiers standing guard at heavily barricades gates, limited entry points, and CCTV cameras placed every few metres on the boundary walls, appears to be fully secured against any intruders.

The roads that lead into the military station have armed soldiers manning barricades. Only military vehicles with bonafide credentials are being allowed inside as the manhunt for the killer/killers of four soldiers entered its third day.

On , having been shot with an Army rifle. The jawans were sleeping in two rooms when they were killed. An eyewitness claimed to have seen two masked persons wearing kurta-pyjama, carrying a rifle and an axe, respectively. However, the Punjab Police are doubting this version.

With a lockdown-like condition prevailing inside, barricades mark the entire stretch of the national highway, which bifurcates the military station. The slip roads on the flyovers, which pass directly in front of the military station entry points, have barricades with no vehicle being allowed on them.

On one side of the highway, the military station has concrete boundary walls with concertina wires on top. There are watchtowers manned by soldiers at regular intervals along the boundary walls and the main entrance gates on both sides of the highway are also heavily guarded.

On the other side of the highway, the military station on does not have any concrete boundary wall and a metal fence runs across the stretch of eight-odd kms till the road hits Bathinda city. This stretch has deep vegetation and tree cover.

The entire distance is interspersed with CCTV cameras at regular intervals and floodlights. Here too soldiers man the boundary fence every few hundred metres. It is not difficult to notice that every gate has CCTV cameras recording the entry and exit of vehicles and persons on foot. The chain link fence too have CCTV cameras every few meters.

This side of the road also has a patrolling track for vehicles running along the fence and, as the city gets closer, the buildings of Army units in the station appear to get closer to the boundary wall and fence.

There are signboards displayed warning that photography is prohibited and that drones cannot be flown in the area.

However, drones were seen carrying out surveillance in the immediate surroundings of the military station during the day as well as in late evening.

Soldiers were seen standing guard atop the over bridges, which connect the two sides of the military station over the national highway.

According to Bathinda Police officials nothing incriminating has been found in the footage secured from CCTV cameras. They are fairly certain that whoever committed the murders is still inside the military station and has not left it.

This is proven by the fact that there is no police activity in the area surrounding the military station. There are no police vans patrolling that area looking for any suspects nor are the residents of the neighbourhood being questioned.

“The rifle which was used to kill the jawans was stolen from near the officers’ mess where the crime took place. It was found dumped in a ditch not far from the scene of crime. This is an important fact. It means someone who stays around the mess may be involved in the crime. We are investigating all angles along with Army,” said a Bathinda police officer not willing to be named.