Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): A Border Security Force (BSF) man shot himself dead with his service riffle in the border district of north Kashmir’s Kupwara, officials said today.
Officials said that the BSF man shot himself with several bullets at a bunker in Wyine village of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. “The deceased was identified as Head Constable Ram Kumar. He was posted with 169 battalion,” officials said.
Officials further added that soon after Kumar shot himself with his service riffle, his colleagues shifted him to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kupwara, Shriram Ambedkar, said that preliminary investigations reveal that the deceased BSF man was suffering from depression and hypertension. “A case has been registered and investigations have started,” he said.
A BSF man said that in house investigation has been started to find out the actual reason as to what forced Kumar to take this extreme step.
It may be recalled that since the Covid outbreak in Kashmir, there has been a spurt in the suicidal tendencies among the security forces personnel especially paramilitary CRPF men deployed across Kashmir.
Over a dozen CRPF men have committed suicide by shooting themselves with their service riffles.
The top security officials attribute growing suicidal tendencies among personnel to the ongoing global pandemic. He stated, “Personnel are far from their families since March this year and are not able to avail for leave, they have developed mental stress which forces them to take such extreme steps.”
-CHK
