NEW DELHI: An officer of India’s Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) shot himself dead at a military camp in the eastern state of Odisha, according to Indian media reports.
The officer reportedly used his service rifle to take his life. Colleagues rushed to the scene after hearing a gunshot and found the officer critically injured.
He was immediately transferred to a nearby military hospital, where doctors attempted to save him but he succumbed to his injuries.
Medical authorities confirmed the death resulted from excessive bleeding caused by a close-range gunshot to the temple.
Odisha Police said the officer’s service rifle was recovered at the scene. The post-mortem report confirmed suicide.
No suicide note was found in his quarters, although reports suggested he was distressed over not being posted near his home.
An inquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the incident. According to Indian media reports, findings of such inquiries are rarely made public, and responsibility is seldom clearly fixed.
Surge in military suicides
The case highlights a troubling trend of suicide among Indian security personnel.
According to Kashmir Media Service, rising suicide rates indicate systemic problems within the armed forces, including poor morale, substandard provisions, mistreatment by superiors, corruption, and a lack of professionalism.
Between 2014 and 2024, official figures indicate 983 suicides in the Indian Army, 96 in the Navy, and 246 in the Air Force.
This averages more than 100 non-combat deaths annually, with a soldier dying every third day from suicide or fratricide—outnumbering combat fatalities.
A 2019–2020 study by the United Service Institution (USI) cited severe operational and non-operational stress as key factors driving the surge in suicides.
Excessive workloads, inadequate training, and psychological distress were identified as contributing factors.
