Jammu, Jan 13: An army jawan has reportedly committed suicide by shooting himself after an argument with his seniors in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to official sources, sepoy Ganesh Chandra of 52 Engineers Regiment took the rifle of his colleague after an argument with his seniors on Saturday night and fired at himself.

After hearing the gunshots, senior officers rushed the jawan to a hospital where he died, they added.

Chandra was posted on guard duty near Line of Control (LoC) in Bhimber Gali area of Rajouri district

The Army has ordered a court of inquiry into the incident, they said.

Last year, concerned with the increasing number of suicides and fratricidal killings in the Indian Army, the Defence Ministry had accepted majority of the recommendations submitted by a special committee that looked into the issue.

The committee led by Dr. Manas Kumar Mandal, Director of Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR), which submitted the report to Defence Ministry in January
2007, had observed that the majority of the root causes that led to the spurt in fratricidal killing in the army belong to the discontentment over leave and ‘occupational hazard’.

The committee had also recommended ‘realignment’ of personnel once they return to the barracks after coming back from leave.

The committee also recommended three different kinds of remedial measures that included immediate steps like imparting of stress-busting techniques like yoga, introduction of selection system for personnel below officer rank (PBOR), which would take into account the psychological strength of the candidates.

The new selection system for PBOR will be initiated from October 31 where emphasis will be on eliminating candidates possessing ‘negative psychological traits’.

“Cumulative stress” on the personnel posted at hazardous area like Northern Command where low-intensity conflicts prevail and has the highest number of such incidents “is more hazardous and has its own toll,” Mandal had then said.

Defence Ministry has already initiated such measures to reduce stress if any among soldiers.

On August 22, 2007, Defence Minister A K Antony had said that the number of suicide cases in the army was “not significantly higher if compared with the national average and also with the armies of some other countries.” (ANI)