NEW DELHI (Web Desk) – An Indian army soldier died during a training session yesterday, provoking other fellow soldiers who roughed up the Captain who was heading the camp.
Jawans of an infantry battalion posted in the sensitive north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh clashed with officers of the same unit following the death of their colleague, the Times of India reported. An Army officer was injured in the scuffle.
Army authorities in New Delhi admitted that a scuffle did take place in the north-eastern state but said it was not a ‘mutiny’. The incident occurred in an area that is in the far-eastern corner of the state and close to the ‘McMohan line’, the de-facto boundary between India and China.
The death occurred when a jawan during routine training activity complained of chest pain prior to route march. He was examined by the medical officer of the unit and found ‘fit’.
However, the jawan later collapsed during route march and was brought to a field ambulance where he died.
Half a dozen of his colleagues got emotional and agitated over the death. On being consoled by the Adjutant, it led to a scuffle. No one was injured seriously.
The name and other details of the jawan who died during training were not available.
Lt Col Newton said in a press release: “The incident is being investigated as is the practice in all cases of death during training.”
It is not the first time the Indian army will take disciplinary action against its officers and jawans.
A boxing bout turned into a bare-knuckles street fight between officers and personnel of an infantry unit near Meerut in 2013. Two majors and a soldier were hospitalised.
The Meerut incident came a year after four soldiers of 226 Field Artillery Regiment, including the unit’s commanding officer and his deputy, were injured in a brawl between officers and soldiers in Ladakh’s Nyoma sector. A soldier had misbehaved with the wife of a major, triggering the face-off.
Another army unit, 16 Cavalry, witnessed an officer-soldier spat in 2012, leading to disciplinary action against 60 personnel. In April 2010, there was a clash between officers and personnel of 45 Cavalry near Gurdaspur.
