A day after a standoff between officers and jawans at an Army unit posted along the border in Samba district,a worried Defence Ministry on Thursday asked the Army HQ for a detailed report on the incident,even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed it as a small incident that had been blown out of proportion. Sources said that on Thursday morning,Defence Minister A K Antony spoke to the Army Chief and asked for a detailed report on the incident that has caused concern,given the Nyoma incident three months back in which clashes took place between soldiers and officers. The Army has now ordered a court of inquiry into the Samba incident that flared up after a jawan posted at the 16 Cavalry unit committed suicide on Wednesday morning. The inquiry,which will look into the suicide as well as the circumstances surrounding the incident,will be conducted by a Brigadier. Meanwhile,the jawans resumed their duties Thursday afternoon. This followed an assurance from the 9 Corps Commander,Lt General A K Bhalla,to look into their grievances about the working conditions and initiate action against those responsible for it. However,the officers continued to stay away from the unit as they,according to sources,were reportedly kept at different units on temporary basis to have peace. Tension had erupted in the unit after a jawan,Arun V,allegedly shot himself dead with his INSAS rifle Wednesday morning. Arun,who had reportedly returned to the unit after availing leave on July 29,again wanted to go home as he had some issues there. However,denying him further leave,the officers at the unit had shifted him from computer job to sentry duty. Arun,who was already receiving a number of phone calls from home,was depressed over this. Even minutes before committing suicide,he had reportedly received a call. Following the suicide,as Aruns colleagues held a demonstration and raised slogans against their senior officers,the latter sensing gravity of the situation left the unit premises. While senior officers at the Western Command expressed ignorance about the incident in view of their pre-occupation in connection with the visit of Army Chief General Bikram Singh,sources said Lt General Bhalla who had been camping in Samba since Wednesday,held a durbar at the unit to listen to the grievances of jawans Thursday morning.
