Another soldier shoots self dead in Kashmir; 10th such incident so far this year

Srinagar:  A soldier ended his life after shooting himself dead with his service rifle at Old Air Field in Srinagar outskirts on Friday.

Police sources identified the slain soldier as Lance Naik Om Prakhash who was posted at Old Air Field Rangreth area in Budgam.

The soldier, according to sources, died on the spot while police have initiated proceedings in this regard.

On Thursday, a CRPF Inspector tried to commit suicide after he shot himself with his service rifle near Shergari Police Station where he was posted.

He is battling for life at SMHS hospital in Srinagar.

The cases of suicide among armed forced deployed in Kashmir is not uncommon.

On 2 February this year, a trooper from Karnataka committed suicide by shooting self at Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

On 5 April, two army soldiers committed suicide by shooting themselves dead with their service rifles in Jammu and Kashmir.

They included Sepoy Satendra Kumar Tomar of Murena MP, who shot himself while he was on duty at 14 RR camp in Bandipora, and Army soldier Makhan Lal (40), posted with the 6th Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, who was on sentry duty at Border Road camp in Samba when he killed himself.

On 18 June, an Assistant Sub Inspector of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Moti Ram of 178 battalion committed suicide in Awantipora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. He was deployed for convey duty at DIG range Awantipora.

A soldier identified as S. Srinivas of Telangana shot himself on 6 July while he was on duty at 226 Field Unit in Boniyar area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

A paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force trooper constable Parveen Munda was critically injured after he allegedly shot himself with his service rifle in Dalgate area of Srinagar on 17 July.

On 20 July a paramilitary CRPF trooper constable Biswajit Dutta of CRPF 29 battalion fired upon himself and died on the spot in Panthachowk area of Srinagar.

On 26 July, another CRPF trooper Pintoo Mondal from West Bengal committed suicide by firing himself from his own service rifle in Rambagh area of Srinagar.

There is a long list of such incidents.

Besides incidents of suicides, this year two fratricides were also reported in Kashmir.

On March 25, two CRPF personnel, Constable Siju and Constable Jala Vijay killed each other in a fratricidal incident in Dal Lake area of Srinagar city.

On July 6 last month, two SSB men, Sentry Hemant Singh and ASI Sandeep Kumar were killed in a fratricidal incident in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. (With inputs from KNT)