A 44-year-old constable of the Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead himself on Thursday while posted on the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, said the police. The incidence was in the Shahgarh area, which is a rather large area that is inaccessible and tactically strategic.
The deceased constable hailed from Hoshiarpur in Punjab and was said to have fired the service weapon, killing himself while on duty. Shahgarh police station in-charge Babu Ram said that after hearing the scream, the other constables reached the scene when there was a sound of firing. He was found to be unconscious, and thus, they reported to their superiors.
The police have launched an inquiry into circumstances culminating in the tragedy. The constable’s body was taken for a postmortem, and other protocols are ongoing. The authorities are also expected to call his family in Punjab to let them know what had happened and check up on them.
This sad event also draws attention to the extremely high workload of employees who work in the area around the border. Tero says security forces posted in such conditions work for many hours in unfavorable conditions, and besides, they may experience stress that affects their psychological health.
Authorities have not disclosed any information about possible causes of the occurrence. On the other hand, there is an expectation that the BSF is going to launch an internal investigation to address the matter so that such calamities can be prevented and that any necessary assistance can be provided to other personnel.
This case explains why it is necessary to care for the psychological state of mind of armed forces in highly stressed areas. This provides a reality check of the requirements and commitment expected of those entrusted with the role of protecting the country and the importance of proper solutions to tackle their –often neglected– welfare. The government and armed forces are also focused on enhancing action in the fields of mental health and the use of personnel in this industry.
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