Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Aug 12: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was critically injured this on Wednesday morning after he shot himself with his service rifle in Shergari area of Srinagar, officials said.
They said a CRPF inspector identified as M Damodar from 141 battalion, who was posted at Shergadi area of Srinagar fired at himself with his service rifle. “He was found in a pool of blood by his colleagues who rushed him to the hospital where his condition is stated as critical,” the official said.
CRPF spokesman in Srinagar, Pankaj Singh said that CRPF inspector M Damodar shot at himself and was injured.
“He is being treated. Investigations have been ordered to find out what prompted him to take extreme steps,” Singh said.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there is a spurt in the suicidal tendencies among the CRPF men posted in Kashmir due to many reasons, and one of the major reasons that forces them to shoot themselves is that they haven’t been able to avail leave since over five months now.
According to CRPF officials, preliminary inquiry into the previous incident has found that “highest level of depression caused by the deadly pandemic is forcing the troopers to take extreme step.”
Today’s incident comes just after a fortnight of previous incident that took place on July 26 when a CRPF man posted in Srinagar shot himself dead.
A senior CRPF official said that there were many reasons why CRPF men were taking extreme steps and one of them is mental stress caused by the COVID-19 which has not allowed them to avail leave to meet their families. “COVID-19 has caused a huge level of depression among CRPF ranks as they are following social distancing norms within their units strictly.
Secondly, they are not able to avail leave and meet their family members since March this year due to the pandemic,” he said, wishing not to be named. “So there is an increased level of pressure which has led to the depression among CRPF men deployed in the Valley.” (KNO)
