A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan committed suicide on Wednesday at a forward camp in Mingachal, a Maoist-affected region in Bijapur district, southern Chhattisgarh. The jawan had returned from leave and joined the 22nd Battalion just a day earlier.
According to officials, Pappu Yadav, a resident of Bhojpur district in Bihar, used his service rifle to shoot himself in the neck. The incident occurred inside the high-security camp premises, and he died on the spot due to the severity of the wound. No suicide note has been recovered so far, and a detailed inquiry is underway.
“Initial findings suggest it was a case of suicide, but we are probing all aspects. The jawan had just reported for duty and was not known to have shared any distress,” Bijapur SP Jitendra Yadav said.
The Mingachal camp lies deep in the Bastar region, which frequently sees gun battles between security forces and Maoist insurgents. The high-stress nature of counterinsurgency operations in such hostile terrain has long raised concerns over the mental well-being of deployed personnel.
Following a series of successful operations by security forces in the Bijapur district this year, the operational pressure, isolation, and lack of adequate psychological support in these zones continue to be serious issues.
The deceased’s body has been sent for a post-mortem, and his family has been informed. CRPF officials said necessary support measures, including counselling for unit personnel, are being initiated as per protocol.