Constable takes 150 colleagues hostage in Jhargram standoff

Biswabrata Goswami 

Statesman News Service

JHARGRAM, 23 APRIL: A junior police constable posted at armoury section of Jhargram police district took more than 150 police personnel, both male and female, hostage inside the barracks in the Jhargram police line this afternoon, leading to a prolonged standoff that ended only around 8 pm.

Police said the constable Vinod Kumar, from Kotsila in Purulia district, fired at least 40 rounds from his self loading rifle (SLR) from the roof of the armoury building as senior police officers tried to climb up to reason with him.

Though, no person has been hurt, he did not let anyone in or out of the building. Kumar was said to be in possession of an SLR with around 180 rounds.

As the panic gripped the locality, police put up barricades on the roads leading to the barracks while a large force rushed to the site.

But initial efforts to negotiate with Kumar failed as he was neither receiving phone calls nor responding to appeals.

The police even brought up anti-mine vehicles, from inside which officers tried to communicate with him. But the constable fired at the vehicles.

The stand-off finally ended at around 8 pm after police brought his family members to the site.

After his father spoke to him, Kumar finally laid aside his rifle and came down from the roof of the building.

A senior police officer said, “The area was cordoned off to prevent any person from getting shot, even as the roads were deserted owing to the coronavirus-related lockdown. Senior police officers, including SP Amitkumar Bharat Rathod, tried to persuade the junior constable to stop firing and come down. The reason for the constable taking to firing is yet to be known.”

According to a police official, three constables are normally posted on the roof of the armoury building on sentry duty. Kumar was one of three sentries assigned today to guard the armoury.

But after reaching the roof, Kumar suddenly started threatening his colleagues at gun point and forced them to go back to their rooms. The two constables came down and Kumar then fired five to six rounds from the roof of the building, causing panic in the area.