A 36-year-old policeman serving in the Special Operations Group (SOG) died by suicide after shooting himself with his service revolver at the MSP camp in Areekode, Kerala’s Malappuram district, on Sunday night.

The deceased has been identified as Vineeth, a resident of Thekkumthara, Wayanad.

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Vineeth was found around 9:30 PM in the washroom of his quarters at the Special Operations Police camp. Although he was rushed to a nearby private hospital, he succumbed to his injuries before reaching the facility.

Reports suggest Vineeth took his own life due to the prolonged denial of leave during a critical period in his personal life. His wife is pregnant, and his repeated requests for leave to attend to her were allegedly declined by his superiors.

Vineeth was undergoing training to combat Maoist and terrorist activities at the camp. Minutes before the incident, he sent a WhatsApp message to a friend, detailing the difficulties he faced, including issues with his training, strained relationships with certain colleagues, and dissatisfaction with the assistant commandant at the camp.

Kalpetta MLA T Siddique alleged that Vineeth’s death could be linked to harassment within the police force and demanded strict action against those responsible.

“The Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, must ensure a proper investigation into this incident and take appropriate action. The police department is employing barbaric methods in training commandos. Those struggling with the rigorous training are being subjected to inhumane treatment,” Siddique stated.

Authorities are expected to conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.