Another soldier commits suicide in Kashmir

JAMMU: An Indian Army soldier in Jammu and Kashmir committed suicide on Monday morning by shooting himself with a service weapon.

Gurvinder Singh, a Rashtriya Rifles soldier posted near Kishtwar town of Doda district, 210 km northeast of Jammu, shot himself dead, said S.D. Goswami, a defence spokesperson.

He said the soldier belonged to Sangrur in Punjab and that the reason for his suicide was not immediately known.

"A court of inquiry has been ordered to look into the cause while the police have also registered a case," he added.

Cases of soldiers killing themselves in distress in Jammu and Kashmir have gone up since October. Over 12 soldiers have killed themselves or their colleagues with their weapons in the last two months.

The defence ministry has constituted a high-level committee to look into the causes. Defence Minister A.K. Antony has also promised immediate implementation of the report of the committee that has been asked to submit findings in two months.

Long duty hours, denial of leave to go home, tiffs with colleagues and personal or domestic reasons could be the provocations for such acts, say psychiatrists.