Four CISF Personnel Dead as Colleague Opens Fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua

FOUR CENTRAL INDUSTRIAL SECURITY FORCE (CISF) personnel, including an assistant commandant, were killed on Tuesday evening, September 29, 2026, after a colleague allegedly opened fire at a National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd (NHPC) project in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. The accused has been identified as head constable Abhidesh Kumar, an officer of the 2009 batch deployed with Quick Reaction team. Kumar allegedly opened fire with his service rifle, an AK-47, following an argument with some colleagues at around 7.30 pm at the Sewa-III project of the central public sector undertaking in the Basohli area of Kathua, close to the Himachal Pradesh border. 

The exact circumstances of the altercation and what led to the shooting at the project site in Mashka village have not been made clear. Senior officials from the CISF and J&K Police reached the location after the firing incident, which is around 150 km from Jammu city, to establish the sequence of events that led to the fatal firing between the security personnel.

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Four CISF Personnel Dead in Kathua

The four CISF personnel were left critically wounded and later succumbed to their injuries at a nearby NHPC hospital, officials said. The deceased were identified as Assistant Commandant Ankit Kumar Pandey, Sub-Inspector Lakshman Singh, and constables Sanjeev Kumar and Mohammed Rafiq.

Officials said accused head constable Abhidesh was restrained by his colleagues following the shooting and was subsequently arrested. His service weapon was also taken into custody. Kathua Superintendent of Police Mohita Sharma said Kumar was formally arrested after a case was registered against him under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Arms Act.

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A CISF official, while speaking to media outlet ThePrint, revealed that the exact circumstances behind the altercation between the soldiers and the subsequent firing will be revealed only after an official inquiry and investigation concludes. “Initial reports indicate that an altercation or scuffle broke out among CISF personnel, following which gunfire took place. However, a detailed cause of the incident will be known only after an inquiry and criminal investigation,” the CISF official stated.

The incident was not the first case of violence involving security personnel in this region of Jammu and Kashmir under the Jammu division. On August 14, 2026, Village Defence Guard (VDG) member Surjeet Singh allegedly shot dead a colleague and critically injured another following an altercation in Udhampur, located around 120 km from the Kathua district.

About the Sewa-III Hydroelectric Project 

The Sewa-II project, operated by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC), is a 120-megawatt power station situated along the Sewa river. The facility is regarded as an important installation for the J&K government and is secured by CISF personnel.

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