Rifleman commits suicide in Jammu and Kashmir

A soldier shoots himself with his service rifle in an army camp due to work-related stress.

In a second case of suicide in two days in the forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, a soldier has shot himself with his service rifle in an army camp in the outskirts of this town apparently due to work-related stress.

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Rifleman Vishnu Pratap Singh of Rajput Rifles shot himself in his barrack in Ratnucheck Army Cantonment at around 2200 hours last night, defence officials said on Tuesday.

Singh, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, died on the spot, they said, adding a court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

A case has been registered and postmortem was conducted.

Singh's suicide is the second incident in two days in the state. Captain Megha Razdan of 113 Engineering Regiment (Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) was found hanging in a room at Kunjawani army camp on Monday.

Every year almost 100 suicides are reported in the army mostly involving personnel in the lower ranks.

Expressing regret over Megha's suicide, an army spokesman yesterday said that there was no rise in suicide cases in the Army.

Concerned that 100 suicides cases were being reported every year in the Army since 2001, Defence Minister AK Antony had recently instituted a high level committee to probe the deaths and suggest remedies.