Air force station soldier shoots himself on duty, dies on the spot

A Lance Naik stationed at the Air Force station in Amla, Madhya Pradesh, died by suicide after shooting himself with his rifle. Mental pressure and family tensions are suspected to be the reasons behind the incident.

MP News: Lance Naik Saroj Kumar Das (46), stationed at the Air Force station in Amla, Betul district, died by suicide during duty late Wednesday night. The incident occurred around 1 am. The soldier shot himself under the chin with a rifle; the bullet pierced his head, resulting in his immediate death. Other personnel on duty rushed to the scene upon hearing the gunshot, but the soldier was already dead.

Lance Naik Das was a resident of Odisha

Police and Air Force officials arrived at the scene following the incident and launched an investigation. Saroj Kumar Das was from Odisha and lived alone in Amla. His wife was not in Amla at the time of the incident, preventing a post-mortem examination on Thursday. The body was sent to Amla Civil Hospital on Friday after his wife arrived, where a post-mortem was conducted under the supervision of BMO Dr. Narvare. The body has since been handed over to the family.

Fellow soldier discovered the body

SDOP SK Singh and ASP Kamala Joshi stated that no suicide note was found at the scene, although a thorough investigation into all aspects is underway. The true cause will only be revealed after a joint investigation by the Indian Air Force and the police. SI Amit Pawar of Amla police station stated that the soldier was first discovered by his colleague on duty. Whether it was suicide or accidental is premature to say, as soldiers sometimes sleep with their rifles. The investigation has just begun; they haven't been able to speak with any officers. His wife has also not revealed anything.

Family issues may be a factor

The reasons behind the suicide have not yet been ascertained. While the police are primarily investigating it as a suicide, there is speculation that the soldier may have been struggling with mental pressure or family stress. He lived alone in Amla, while his family remained in Odisha.