In a sensational twist to Sunday’s shooting death of a 13-year-old boy, sources claimed an inebriated Army officer had shot the youngster dead in cold blood.
The Army repeatedly refuted claims that Dilshan was shot by a jawan, as the boy’s family alleged.
Dilshan had on Sunday entered the Army premises at Old Fort Glacis Officers’ Enclave, Island Grounds, to pluck almonds when he was shot, police sources said.
“The Army officer who opened fire at Dilshan locked himself in a toilet immediately afterwards, and was later cajoled to come out by colleagues who feared he would commit suicide,” a police source said.
“The officer was later spirited away in a civilian car to Bengaluru,” a police source added.
Senior Army officers are reportedly looking for a way to extricate the officer and other middle-level officers in Chennai responsible for the coverup from a situation that threatens to snowball into a major controversy.