CAF jawan kills sister-in-law, uncle with service rifle in broad daylight in Chhattisgarh's Korba district

RAIPUR: A personnel of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) opened fire with his service rifle, killing his sister-in-law and her uncle in broad daylight in Korba district on Wednesday. The jawan was posted with the 13th battalion at Banga camp. The incident occurred while Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Sharma and Arun Sao, was visiting the district headquarters. Korba SP Siddharth Tiwari confirmed to TOI the incident and the arrest of the assistant constable, stating that the jawan was taken into custody along with the service weapon, an INSAS rifle, used in the crime. The accused was identified as Tesram Binjhwar. He collected his rifle from the camp and headed to his in-laws’ village, Umendi Bhatha, in the Hardi Bazar region. He first went to his in-laws’ house and shot his 17-year-old sister-in-law and minutes later shot her uncle, Rajesh, 33, on the main road. SP Tiwari said that preliminary investigations indicate a domestic dispute as the motive. “Initial investigation points to longstanding domestic and family disputes between the jawan and his estranged wife’s family as the trigger for the crime,” he added. The mother of the deceased girl told reporters that her elder daughter had married Tesram three years ago, but the couple separated after a year due to harassment. “He even attempted to immolate her. After two years, there were community discussions about formal separation so my daughter could move on with her life. But Tesram suddenly barged into my house today with his service rifle and opened fire on my younger daughter and then on my brother, killing them on the spot. Has the government given weapons to jawans for murdering people?” she fumed. Eyewitnesses said the jawan reached the village temple around 11:50 am and fired multiple rounds, killing his sister-in-law before turning the weapon on her uncle. The gunfire sent panic through the village, with residents fleeing for cover. Locals managed to overpower the jawan as he tried to escape and handed him over to police. The murders triggered anger among villagers and relatives of the deceased, who placed the bodies outside the hospital and staged a road blockade, demanding strict action and compensation. A heavy police deployment was made to restore order.