In a case of “mass bunking”, 59 commandos of the CRPF’s elite anti-Maoist force CoBRA went missing from a train they were travelling in.
The personnel of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were supposed to report for their first deployment in Maoist-infested areas of Bihar.
The paramilitary force on Monday ordered a Court of Inquiry saying these personnel committed a “misconduct for which they will be dealt with departmentally”.
The incident triggered a scare about mass desertion, but an enquiry established that it was a case of “mass bunking”.
Sources said the 59 personnel, who are part of the jungle warfare and counter-Maoist squad, were moving from Recruitment Training Centre in Srinagar to their unit in Bihar’s Gaya.
“They had their return reservations from Jammu to Gaya on February 5 in Sealdah Express. Due to inclement weather and road blockade, these personnel were sent to Jammu on February 1 and they decided to board an early train the next day. Since they were early as per their scheduled programme, they decided on their own to use Saturday and Sunday to visit their homes without prior permission from competent authority,” a senior official said. None of the personnel were armed and it is perplexing how they decided to make the slip en masse, the official said.
The paramilitary force on Monday ordered a Court of Inquiry saying these personnel committed a misconduct for which they will be dealt with departmentally. The incident triggered a scare about mass desertion, but an enquiry established that it was a case of mass bunking.
The personnel did not inform their contingent commander on board the train as they left in the night. They were to report to their unit on Monday. “The trainers and the havildar who was accompanying these commandos have got in touch with some of those who vanished from the train without informing seniors. Some have promised to report by Tuesday,” the official said.
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