Army orders Court of Inquiry into Karwar ruckus by jawans

Even as the Karwar police registered a case of rioting against 30 Army jawans belonging to the Gurkha regiment, who were involved in a fracas with railway personnel and policemen at Karwar police station, the Commander of Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area has ordered a Court of Inquiry into the violence.

The Commander of Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area Brigadier Clement Samuel told reporters in Bangalore that the troops, who were due to leave for Chennai after completion of their training, had been detained at Karwar Naval base to facilitate the Court of Inquiry.

The Court of Inquiry headed by a officer of the rank of colonel would soon be dispatched to Karwar to obtain statements from all the jawans present during the incident at the Karwar railway station, besides the police and railway officials.

The army jawans have been accused of going on a rampage at the railway station, assaulting police and railway officials with knives, leaving ten persons injured.

However, Brigadier Samuel said Wednesday’s trouble took place because a railway policeman hit an Army officer with a baton when the latter was found smoking on the railway platform.

Meanwhile, Karwar Naval base Commander Waghan has regretted the disturbances taking place at the Karwar railway station. In a statement, he said the Army would hold a court martial and initiate disciplinary action against the jawans found guilty. “A team of senior Army officers is expected to arrive in Karwar in a day or two for the inquiry”, he said.

Karwar rural police has registered four First Information Reports (FIR) based on complaints lodged by Station Master of Karwar railway station, Railway Protection Force, Circle Inspector of Police and the District Armed Reserve.

Deputy Commissioner of Karwar Ritesh Kumar Singh told reporters that he had sent a detailed report to the Home Secretary of Karnataka Government. He said he had recommended that an inquiry against the army jawans be held in Karwar as any move to shift them out of the area would enrage the public.

The public, who were also at the receiving end of the jawans’ reported rudeness and belligerence at the railway station, had staged a road-blockade and set fire to a naval vehicle when the troops were shifted out the railway station on Wednesday evening.

About 40 jawans belonging to 5/5 Gurkha Regiment were waiting for a Mangalore-bound train enroute to Chennai on Wednesday when the ruckus took place. The jawans had completed a month-long training schedule at Karwar Naval base in connection with the commissioning of the INS Shardul warship, which supports the Army too. An estimated 800 army personnel are scheduled to undergo training on INS Shardul Warship in different batches.