Suicide deaths worry Indian Army

3 July, 2007:

Is stress proving to be a killer for defense personnel in India? Two instances of suicide in a matter of days have called for introspection on what is really happening in the armed forces.

On June 2, 2007, a woman Army officer committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan at her official residence in Kunjawani Army camp in the outskirts of the city. The officer, Captain Megha Razdan, of the 113 Engineering Regiment (Electrical and Mechanical Engineer) killed herself. It is not immediately known as to why Megha, married just four months ago to Captain Chaitanya, a Maharashtra officer dealing with chemical and biological warfare of EME, resorted to the extreme step.

The incident came to light when her attendants failed to get any response when they knocked on her door in the morning. The authorities were alerted and they had to break open the door to enter her room. Megha was found hanging from the ceiling fan. Though she was rushed to the hospital, she was declared brought dead by the doctors.

There have been rumors that Captain Megha Razdan had problems with her immediate officers in the unit. Pertaining to this, a court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

Incidentally, another case of suicide was reported on June 28, 2007 from Nagrota, near Jammu. An Army jawan, Sepoy Manveer Singh of the 54 Rashtriya Rifles, shot himself with his service weapon and died on the spot. A court of inquiry has been instituted to ascertain the facts behind the incident.

Reports said that Haryana-resident Sepoy Manveer Singh had come to Jammu seeking an educational course. He had been spending his days in Nagrota since March, this year, they said.