Jammu, July 7 (IANS) A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper allegedly shot himself dead with his service rifle at a forward post on the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district on Monday.

Officials said that BSF constable, Mridul Dass, was on sentry duty in the Border outpost, Malluchak, in Ramgarh sector of the IB when he reportedly fired upon himself.

“The motive behind his taking such an extreme step was not known immediately. Police have shifted the body of the deceased to the Community Health Centre in Ramgarh for post-mortem and also started inquest proceedings,” officials said.

Late Saturday evening, a soldier died of a bullet injury from his own service rifle inside a camp in Rajouri district.

Officials said the soldier posted with 54 Rashtriya Rifles, was on sentry duty when he died in the company headquarters in Solki village, 40 km from Rajouri town.

“The colleagues of the soldier heard a gunshot from his post and rushed to the scene to find him dead on the spot. It was not immediately clear whether the soldier died of suicide or accidental discharge from his rifle. Police have started inquest proceedings to ascertain the cause of his death,” officials said.

There have been incidents of suicide or extreme behavioural problems with some personnel of the Army and the security forces in the union territory in the past.

Experts engaged in probing the incidents have attributed such bizarre behavioural changes to continued separation from families, long duty hours in a hostile environment, lack of recreational avenues and improper command and control mechanisms.

The problem has been largely resolved with the creation of recreational avenues at places of posting, periodic leaves to rejoin families and shorter duty hours with better interaction and periodic ‘Darbars’ by the commanding officers with the jawans deployed on the ground.

As the situation improved in J&K, security personnel have formed a better rapport with the locals, exchanging greetings, helping civilians in natural disasters and exchanging love and affection with the local children like they do with their children at home. The Army and the security forces are now seen as ‘friends’ rather than gun-wielding law and order-enforcing robots. The human touch has bridged the chasm that was intentionally created and spread by anti-national elements after the 1990s in Jammu and Kashmir.

–IANS

sq/dpb