The only eyewitness turned suspect in the murder of four Indian Army soldiers at the strategically located Bathinda military base has been arrested, Punjab Police said on Monday.
According to Bathinda's top police officer, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gulneet Khurana, the suspect, identified as Desai Mohan, previously told investigators that he had seen two masked men at the site of the incident before the two fled into the nearby forest.
However, police initially had doubts about Mohan's version of how events unfolded at the crime scene. Later, the CCTV cameras installed inside the premises of the military station were scanned to find if there was a trespass, and the footage suggested otherwise.
Mohan is now the main accused in the case.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating all possible motives, including personal enmity and professional rivalry.
"Bathinda Military Base is a peace posting station where troops stay with their families. Besides the suspicion of professional reasons behind the killings, we are working to find any link to the personal lives that led to the incident," the SSP said.
The Bathinda military station is believed to be one of the key bases for the Indian Armed Forces given its proximity to Pakistan.