Woman army officer commits 'suicide'

Bhopal, June 16 (UNI) The family of Army Service Corps Lt Sushmita Chakraborty favours an independent inquiry into her alleged suicide yesterday at Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.

''She desired to go ahead in life. Why would a person like this kill herself,'' Lt Sushmita's elder paternal uncle S K Chakraborty told UNI at the local Raja Bhoj airport where he had come to collect his niece's body.

Lt Sushmita, who hailed from Bhopal and was commissioned into the Army in October last year, allegedly committed suicide with a firearm yesterday, her family members said.

The body was being brought to the state capital via Ludhiana, said her father P B Chakraborty, an employee of BHEL-Bhopal.

Mr P B Chakraborty said his daughter had recently complained of not being satisfied with the job, which involved arranging late night parties. Her mother, Ms Sadhna Chakraborty, was staying with Lt Sushmita for some time.

A postgraduate in Chemistry from local Nutan College, Lt Sushmita wanted to join the Army Education Corps, Mr Chakraborty said, adding she had undergone training at the Officers Training Academy at Chennai six months ago.

A large number of people had gathered at their Saket Nagar residence waiting for the arrival of the body.

''It is unbelievable that a girl like Ms Sushmita having strong will power could commit suicide,'' their neighbour S K K Bomik said.

UNI AC-PS YA RK2101