CRPF trooper commits suicide in J&K’s Srinagar

Srinagar (The Uttam Hindu): A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper allegedly committed suicide on Monday by shooting himself in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Srinagar city. Officials said that a CRPF jawan identified as Constable Nirmal Pal Singh allegedly shot himself with his service rifle inside the 61 CRPF battalion camp in Shivpora locality of Srinagar city. “He died on the spot. The exact cause that forced the jawan to take the extreme step is being investigated. Medico-legal formalities are being completed now”, officials said.

There have been some incidents of security personnel taking the extreme step during their duties in different parts of J&K, ever since armed insurgency started here in the early 1990s. Experts have attributed this to various causes including long period of separation from families, performing duties in volatile situations and lack of entertainment among the deployed troopers. In order to address these reasons, measures like periodic leave to join families, shorter periods of duty under hostile situation, counselling and increasing avenues of entertainment and sports for the deployed forces have been adopted. Better command and control and a closer bond of mutual loyalty between the constabulary and the senior officers has also been suggested as a remedial action to ensure that the deployed troops remain mentally relaxed.

Experts also suggest that dealing with militancy is quite different from dealing with an enemy on the border. “In militancy, the security forces, police and the army are dealing with an unseen enemy. Every civilian is treated as peace loving and innocent unless the action of such a person betrays his appearance. “Second, the security forces have to ensure that no civilian should be harmed while dealing with the terrorists.

“This means that the deployed trooper has not to lose sight of the innocent citizen while dealing with the terrorist, who is presumed innocent unless he displays/uses a weapon. “So, doing duties in civilian areas creates a lot of stress among the deployed troopers”, said a psychologist here