Army Captain commits suicide in J&K

Captain S Kohli of the Rashtriya Rifles, just back from leave killed himself with an AK 47 assault rifle on Sunday evening.

A young army captain, posted in counter insurgency operations in Kashmir's terrorist-infested Lolab valley committed suicide shooting himself with his service rifle, forcing investigation into the increasing number of suicides in the forces.

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Captain S Kohli of the Rashtriya Rifles, just back from leave after getting married, killed himself with an AK 47 assault rifle on Sunday evening in the sugar sector in Lolab valley.

Confirming his death, army officials said the Chandigarh-born Captain had left no suicide note. With Kohli's death the number of service personnel who had committed suicide in the last three years has gone up to 205.

Suicide rate in the forces peaked in 2004 when, according to figures tabled in Parliament, 100 soldiers ended their lives. With measures like better interaction between officers and men put in force by the Army Chief Gen JJ Singh, the suicide rate showed marked decline.

The cases of suicides and soldiers turning their weapons on colleagues dropped to 75 in 2005 and 30 so far this year. Most of the suicides were being reported mostly from insurgency affected areas.