Two Indian paramilitary personnel die by suicide in separate incidents
Stress, difficult deployments, non-professional duties cited as key reasons
New Delhi: Two Indian paramilitary personnel, including a constable, have died by suicide in separate incidents in the Indian states of Telangana and Bihar, highlighting the mounting psychological and personal pressures faced by personnel serving under demanding conditions.
According to Kashmir Media Service, 30-year-old Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable Gadde Pawan Kumar died by suicide by hanging himself at his residence in the Indiranagar area of Borabanda in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Family members found him unresponsive and, with the help of neighbours, forced open the door before informing the police. Police said the family reported that he had been under severe financial stress and was worried about his inability to repay loans.
In another incident, a personnel of the Indian paramilitary Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) died by suicide after shooting himself with his service revolver at the SSB’s 19th Battalion camp in Thakurganj, Kishanganj district of Bihar.
The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Jiyapokhar police station while the personnel was reportedly on sentry duty. He was said to be a resident of West Bengal.
A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team inspected the scene, while personnel present at the camp were questioned. Police said preliminary evidence pointed to suicide, but an investigation was underway to establish the exact motive and circumstances surrounding the death.
The incidents once again draw attention to the intense stress and difficult working conditions faced by personnel of India’s armed and paramilitary forces. Prolonged deployments in politically disturbed, violence-hit, hostile and high-altitude areas can expose personnel to sustained psychological pressure, while frequent separation from families and difficulties in obtaining timely leave can further aggravate mental strain.
Personnel are also often deployed for duties outside their core professional responsibilities, including law-and-order operations, crowd control, election duties, security arrangements and prolonged counter-insurgency deployments. Such assignments, coupled with demanding schedules and difficult living conditions, can contribute to physical and psychological exhaustion.
Reports have also pointed to workplace pressure, alleged ill-treatment or humiliation by senior officers, separation from loved ones, marital discord and unresolved property or financial problems as factors that can compound mental stress among security personnel.
