Aizawl: A 56-year-old policeman in Mizoram, who gunned down two of his fellow armed personnel, has been dismissed from his service, a senior police officer said on Tuesday.
Mizoram Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) John Neihlaia said that the accused Bimal Kanti Chakma, a havildar in the 2nd battalion of Mizoram Armed Police (MAP) has been awarded a major penalty under section 91 (1) (d) of Mizoram Police Act, 2011 (Act No. 3 of 2012) and rule 1040 (1) (c) of Mizoram Police Manual 2005 read with Article 311 (2) (b) of the Constitution and was dismissed from service with immediate effect on Tuesday for killing his fellow personnel with his service rifle under alcoholic influence.
“Chakma has committed a heinous crime, which is unbecoming of a disciplined and professional uniformed force, to render him totally unfit to remain as a member of this uniformed disciplined force any longer and thereby forfeits all his right to continue as the member of Mizoram Police department,” Neihlaia told a news conference here.
He said that Chakma shot dead two of his colleagues at the Buarchep area in the Kolasib district on the Mizoram-Assam border, where the border skirmishes with the neighbouring state took place in 2021.
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The victims have been identified as J Lalrohlua (51) and Indra Kumar Rai (53), both were also havildars in the same battalion of Mizoram police, he said.
While Lalrohlua, who was shot at his head, died on the spot, Rai succumbed to his injuries on the way to Vairengte hospital, about 10 km from where the shooting took place, he said.
Rai was shot at his left chest.
“The incident, which was very rare in the state, has greatly shocked the police department,” Neihlaia said.
The two victims and the accused were on duty at their barrack, located about 400 metres from the main Border Outpost, when the incident occurred at 6:15 pm on Sunday, he said.
Chakma told police that his colleagues used to report about him being often drunk and before the heinous incident, he questioned the two victims as to why they used to report about him to the post commander, the senior police officer said.
Eventually, Chakma acted spontaneously and shot at his colleagues with his service rifles (AK-47), he said.
One AK-47 rifle along with one magazine containing 13 live rounds were seized from the accused and 15 empty cartridges and one projectile suspected to be fired from the rifle were also recovered and seized from the site, he said.
A criminal case under section 302 of the IPC was registered against Chakma, who was remanded to judicial custody at 1:30 am on Monday, he said.
According to Neihlaia, the state police would give an ex-gratia of Rs. 1 lakh each to the next of kins of the victims from the police welfare fund.
Both Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and home minister Lalchamliana have also consented to the proposal to provide compassionate appointments to one each dependent of the two victims under the state police department, he said.