Two policemen were found dead with injuries from their service weapons in two separate incidents in western Uttar Pradesh on Friday.
Sub-inspector Madhup Singh, who was posted at Baleni police station in Baghpat, allegedly shot himself dead at his residence in Ghaziabad with his service revolver, the police said.
Superintendent of Police (City) Ghaziabad Shlok Kumar said prima facie it appeared that the sub-inspector killed himself. “Madhup hailed from Allahabad and preliminary investigation revealed that he was under mental stress because of a family dispute,” the SP said.
Local sources said that Singh, who was in his mid-30s, was also stressed about not being promoted for several years after he allegedly lost his service revolver when he was posted in Moradabad. “It could be one of the reasons but as we haven’t recovered any suicide note yet, we can’t be sure. After dropping his son to school, he was alone in the room at the time of the incident. His wife was in the house and she told us that she heard him having a heated argument with somebody over the phone. We are investigating all possible angles,” Mr. Kumar said.
Accidental death?
In Bijnor, constable Ankur Rana (23), stationed at the Collectorate, allegedly shot himself with his service rifle. Local sources said that Rana, from Baghpat, was tense as his wife was suffering from a serious ailment. He got married this February.
Additional SP Laxmi Niwas Mishra said the reason of Rana’s death is still under probe. “As no suicide note has been recovered, it would not be prudent to arrive at a conclusion without proper probe. It could be a case of accidental death as the bullet entered the body through the chin. When constables clean their rifles, they often hold them in that position. He was alone in the room and a sentry was outside the door,” Mr. Mishra said .
In the last one year, the U.P. police have lost at least a dozen staff to alleged self-inflicted injuries.
Suicide prevention helpline: Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health; 011-4076 9002 (Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. -7.30 p.m.)
