Army jawan dies by suicide after Facebook live

An Indian Army jawan from Punjab’s Gurdaspur district allegedly died by suicide after consuming a poisonous substance and accusing his wife of mentally harassing him, police said on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Kanwaljit Singh, a resident of Chit village near Batala in Gurdaspur district. The 30-year-old had joined the Indian Army around three years ago and was posted with the 17 Sikh Regiment in Jaipur. He had recently been sent to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh on temporary duty.

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According to family members, Kanwaljit got married in February this year. Before taking the extreme step during a journey on Friday, he allegedly went live on Facebook and levelled serious allegations against his wife, claiming she had left him and eloped with another man barely two months after their marriage.

In the video, the soldier accused his wife and her alleged partner of ruining his life and held them responsible for his condition. He also alleged that his father-in-law was aware of the relationship and had supported his daughter.

Kanwaljit’s mother, Surjit Kaur, said her son had been deeply disturbed after his wife allegedly left the house with her alleged lover in the middle of the night. She claimed her son had lodged a complaint with the local police earlier, but no concrete action was taken.

She further said the family received a call from the Army unit on Friday morning informing them about Kanwaljit’s death. The soldier had reportedly named his wife and some others responsible for his suicide during the Facebook live session.

The deceased’s sister, Sandeep Kaur, also accused the woman and her family of mentally troubling her brother. She alleged that Kanwaljit had repeatedly informed his father-in-law about his wife’s alleged relationship with another person, but his concerns were ignored.

Police officials said an earlier complaint filed by Kanwaljit had already led to the registration of a case against unidentified persons. However, since the suicide incident took place within the jurisdiction of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, further legal proceedings and investigation will be handled by the local police there.

The last rites of the soldier were performed on Saturday amid grief in the village and surrounding areas.