CRPF constable sentenced to 4 life-terms for killing 4 colleagues in 2017 shooting

Raipur: A special court for Naxal cases in Bastar has sentenced CRPF constable Sant Kumar to four life imprisonments for opening fire and killing his four colleagues and injuring another person at the Basaguda camp in Bijapur district in 2017.
The sentences will be served simultaneously, ordered Additional Sessions Judge Shantanu Kumar Deshlahare. The incident occurred on December 9, 2017, at around 5 pm when Sant Kumar, a constable in the 168th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), opened fire on his colleagues, killing four and injuring one.
The slain jawans were identified as SI Vicky Sharma, SI Megh Singh, ASI Rajveer Singh, and Sepoy Shankar Rao Ganda. Another soldier, Gajanand, was injured. The tragedy unfolded in the Basaguda camp, a key CRPF outpost in the Naxal-affected region of Bijapur.
Following the incident, Sant Kumar was arrested and later revealed to have had a dispute with assistant sub-Inspector Gajanand, which escalated into the fatal shooting. In addition to the four life sentences, Sant Kumar was also fined Rs 500 for each life sentence. The court further sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment under Section 302 of the IPC with an additional fine of Rs 500, 2 years imprisonment under Section 307 of the IPC with a Rs 500 fine, and 3 years imprisonment under Section 25 of the Arms Act, also with a Rs 500 fine. Failure to pay these fines will result in additional imprisonment.