ASI on night duty shoots self with service pistol in south Delhi

The incident occurred when the deceased officer was on night duty at the police check post on BP Marg in south Delhi’s Kotla Mubarakpur

A 51-year-old assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Delhi Police was found dead from a bullet wound inside his car while on night duty in south Delhi, officers associated with the case said on Saturday, adding that they suspect he shot himself with his service pistol.

The police said that the ASI was from Haryana’s Mahendragarh district, and had joined the police force in 1993 as a constable. (Representational image/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The incident occurred at the police check post on BP Marg in south Delhi’s Kotla Mubarakpur. At 3am, the ASI told a sub-inspector (SI) colleague that he was going to take a 10-minute rest in the car, which was parked nearby. After 10 minutes, the SI went to check and found him in a seated position on the driver’s seat, bleeding from a bullet wound in the head. The ASI was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead, said deputy commissioner of police (south) Ankit Chauhan.

Forensic experts said the bullet entered through the right side of the head and exited from the other side. “The bullet exited the car through the roof,” said an officer who asked not to be named. No suicide note was found at the scene, officers added.

A second officer said that the ASI’s family members were informed about his death, but they were in shock and could not be asked about the issues he was going through. The police said that the ASI was from Haryana’s Mahendragarh district, and had joined the police force in 1993 as a constable.

According to police officers, the ASI was unhappy with his duty hours and his poor health, which could be the reason he took the extreme step. However, the police said they are investigating to determine what exactly happened.

In another case in south Delhi, a 47-year-old man was found hanging from a tree in a forested area near a shopping mall in Vasant Vihar on Friday afternoon. The man lived in the neighbourhood and was reported missing by his family on Wednesday. No foul play was suspected by his family members, said officers.