Soldier on guard duty kills self at Command HQ

I WONDER : LOOK AT THE NEWS HEADING AND THE HIGHLIGHTED PORTION IN NEWS. IS SOUTHERN COMMAND PRO READING IT ?

PUNE: A soldier on duty at the Headquarters Southern Command Officer’s Mess in the Pune cantonment allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking to TOI, assistant commissioner of police Ashok Gaikwad of the Pune Cantonment police said the soldier, Sanjeev Kumar (24) of Ranchi, was working in the Pioneer unit of the mess. “At 1.15 pm on Sunday, while he was sitting in his chair near the main gate, he fired two rounds from his Insas rifle. One bullet hit him in the stomach. His colleagues immediately rushed him to the Command Hospital at Wanowrie, where he was declared dead on arrival,” Gaikwad said.

“Prima facie investigations indicate that Kumar committed suicide. We have recovered an empty cartridge from the spot,” said Gaikwad. “We have not found any suicide note.”

According to Gaikwad, the police have seized Kumar’s cellphone. He had just resumed work after taking a few days off. “He lived in the military barrack. We are searching his belongings to check if he has left a suicide note,” said Gaikwad.

Kumar’s body has been sent for a post-mortem. “The Cantonment police and the military police are investigating the case,” Gaikwad said.

When contacted, senior Southern Command officials flatly refused to speak, saying they were not aware of the incident.