Mutiny at India’s elite NSG exposes internal rifts within Indian forces
New Delhi: A shocking display of indiscipline has hit India’s premier counter-terrorism force, the National Security Guard (NSG), revealing deep-seated mistrust and hostility between officers and troops.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the deliberate burning of a Group Commander’s vehicle inside the high-security campus of the 27th Special Composite Group (SCG), Regional Hub of the NSG in Chennai, has sparked alarm over discipline and morale within the force.
Critics while citing the incident of November 8, 2025, when a vehicle bearing registration number JH 10AZ 1284, belonging to the Group Commander, was set ablaze at his official residence inside the NSG campus indicate that the act was intentional. They point out that investigators recovered an empty petrol bottle near the site and found indecent notes targeting the officer in the garden area of his residence.
Given the high-security nature of the NSG campus, the possibility of external involvement was ruled out during preliminary inquiries, intensifying fears about inside job. An FIR was registered, stating that foul play could not be ruled out. During the initial investigation by designated officers, the rear gate of the residence was found open, further complicating the matter.
On January 1, 2026, officers of the Indian Army on deputation to the 27 SCG reportedly wrote to the Director General NSG, seeking an independent and impartial probe by senior officers to safeguard discipline within the force.
Observers say that the occurrence of such an incident within one of India’s most prestigious counter-terrorism units points to a breakdown of command cohesion. They argue that the episode reflects deeper systemic issues, including declining morale and strained relations between leadership and rank-and-file personnel.
Analysts warn that sustained mistrust and unresolved grievances, if left unaddressed, could adversely affect operational effectiveness.
