IRB jawan shoots self, 3 others

IMPHAL, June 5: In a gruesome incident this afternoon an India Reserve Battalion personnel in an inebriated condition shot dead three other personnel of his post before killing himself with his own service rifle.

IRB men carry thier injured colleague who sucumbed to injury to hospital.

The incident happened around 2:40pm at the 6th IRB post at Maphou Dam under Lamlai Police.

The victims have been identified as Havildar Thokchom Birbal (HC No 8439), 34 son of Ibochoubi of Toubul Makha Leikai Bishnupur district, Havildar Khongzathang Vaite(HC No 55611), 55, son of (L) Gingou of New Lamka, Vengnuam, Churachandpur and Havildar Haorongbam Deben (HC No, 8275), 49 son of Ibobi of Khekman Mathak Leikai, Thoubal district.

The rifleman who shot himself before killing the three was identified as Rifleman Kaikho Hao (Rifleman No 6070507). The exact particulars of the rifleman including his address and age could not be ascertained till the filling of this report.

Rifleman Kaikho Hao had gone out of his post around 1pm and came back shortly around 2:30pm in an inebriated condition.

He went straight for his barrack and after picking up his service SLR, loaded it with a magazine, said a fellow personnel who survived the carnage.

Another personnel identified as Lhun who suspected something amiss when he saw Kaikho load his rifle, came out running of the barrack and tried to warn the others.

However, Kaikho Hao came out with his loaded rifle and started firing aiming whoever was visible in the vicinity.

During his indiscriminate firing, Kaikho Hao killed Birbal who was sleeping on the verandah.

Khamjathang Ngaite who was sleeping inside his barrack at the time was also killed on the spot during the firing, while Deben who was relaxing in the camp, when the firing happened succumbed to his injuries at RIMS.

Soon afterwards, the inebriated rifleman put the muzzle of his rifle inside his mouth and pulled the trigger killing himself on the spot.

Police source informed that the magazine of the Self Loading Rifle which has been picked up by the police was found empty after the incident.

Soon after receiving the news of the carnage, Addl DGP PM Goud and 6th IRB CO Lakshmi Prasad also rushed to the IRB post to take stock of the incident.

All dead bodies including Deben’s who succumbed at RIMS have been shifted to the JNIMS mortuary.

The reason behind the drastic action of the rifleman cannot be ascertained till the filling of this report.