He walks in, takes charge, kills himself

He distributed prasad (offering made to god and then distributed) to his colleagues at the Connaught Place Police Station and even tried to cheer up a little girl who had got lost and was sitting alone.

Head Constable Rohtas Singh (49) had come to his workplace in a jovial mood.

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He distributed prasad (offering made to god and then distributed) to his colleagues at the Connaught Place Police Station and even tried to cheer up a little girl who had got lost and was sitting alone.

Then, suddenly he picked up his service pistol and shot himself.

Singh was posted with the Barakhamba Police Station.

As the building for the new Barakhamba Police Station is being constructed, it is running from Connaught Place.

Singh committed suicide late on Sunday night after taking charge as the duty officer.

He has not left behind any suicide note.

One of his colleagues said Singh had some family problem, but he never discussed it with his friends.

A senior police officer on the condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said Singh, a resident of Gopal Colony in Najafgarh, shot himself in the head at 11.10 pm.

The incident occurred inside the duty officer’s room of Barakhamba police station.

“Singh was on the night shift (from midnight to 8:00 am) for the last one week. On Sunday, he reached the police station at 10.20 pm though his eight-hour duty was to start at midnight,” said the officer.

He even distributed prasad to his colleagues after a senior officer told him to do so.

Police said at 11 pm he went out of the duty officer’s room to have a glass of water.

“He returned and sat on a table in front of the duty officer’s seat. He took out his pistol and was fidgeting with it while talking to his colleagues,” said the officer. “Suddenly, he pressed the pistol to his temple and shot himself before anyone could react.”

Police said Singh had also received a call from his daughter before he killed himself

Policemen at the station rushed him to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

A post mortem was conducted at Lady Hardinge Hospital.

Additional Commissioner of Police Shankar Dash said:

“The body has been handed over to the family. We have not spoken to them till now. Things would be much clearer after
we do.”

Singh joined Delhi Police in 1980 at the age of nineteen as a constable.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. All three children are married.

Singh also reportedly called up his sister and some other people and told them they would not be able to contact him after midnight.

A case was registered at Connaught Place Police Station.