An army jawan who killed four of his colleagues at the high-security Bathinda military station on April 12, 2023, has been sentenced to life imprisonment and dismissal from service by a General Court Martial (GCM) on Saturday, according to sources familiar with the proceedings.
Details of the Convict and Victims
The convict, Desai Mohan, along with the victims—Sagar Banne, Kamlesh R, Santosh Nagaral, and Yogeshkumar J—were all members of the 80 Medium Regiment of Artillery and were stationed together at the mess.
Charges and Court Martial Proceedings
Mohan faced multiple charges, including four counts of murder under Section 69 of the Army Act and Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, as well as two counts of theft under Section 52(a) of the Army Act for stealing weapons and ammunition.
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The GCM, led by Colonel S. Duseja, has announced the sentence, but it remains subject to review by higher army authorities. The tragic incident occurred when Mohan shot his sleeping colleagues in their rooms near the officers’ mess. Bathinda district police discovered 19 empty shells at the scene.
First Information Report (FIR) and Initial Allegations
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed at the cantonment police station on April 12, Desai Mohan claimed he had seen two masked men dressed in white kurta-pyjamas near the crime scene.
The FIR was registered following a complaint from Major Ashutosh Shukla of the 80 Medium Regiment. The complaint included Mohan’s statement that one of the alleged assailants was armed with an INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifle, while the other wielded an axe. The FIR also noted that an INSAS rifle and a magazine containing 28 cartridges had been reported missing from an army unit on April 9, and these items were recovered by the Bathinda police on the day of the murder.
Transfer to Army Jurisdiction and Investigation Findings
The case was subsequently transferred from the civil court to the Army under Section 125 of the Army Act, which provides for the trial of the accused by a court martial.
During the investigation by the civil police, Desai Mohan, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, initially alleged that he had been sexually abused by the deceased. He claimed that the four victims had used his mobile phone to communicate with his fiancée, taken compromising photos of her, and mocked him.
During the trial, Mohan contended that his implication was orchestrated by police and military authorities, and he denied having made any confessional statements to either the police or Army officials. However, the General Court Martial (GCM) dismissed his claims as unsubstantiated and considered them an afterthought. The GCM based its conviction on Mohan’s voluntary confessional statement given during the Summary of Evidence, along with substantial circumstantial evidence. The GCM has been convened at the Bathinda army base since January of this year.
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