Punjab Police officer commits suicide

Chandigarh, May 20 (UNI) A senior Punjab Police officer allegedly committed suicide with his service revolver at his Sector-39 residence here last night, UT police officials here today said.

The officer AIG Vivek Mishra shot himself in a room at his residence. His wife and two children who were present in the house informed the neighbours who broke open the door of the room to find the officer lying in a pool of blood.

He was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.

According to official sources, Mr Mishra was under a lot of stress as he was facing a CBI inquiry in a case pertaining to the period of militantcy in Punjab. The officer was then posted as SP (Operations) in Gurdaspur.

Mr Mishra who belonged to the CRPF cadre was sent on deputation to the Punjab Police when militantcy was at its peak in the state.

Besides serving as SP (Operations) at Gurdaspur he also remained posted at Batala, which was then considered as the hotbelt of militancy alongwith Majitha and Tarn Taran police districts.

Due to the CBI inquiry against him, Mr Mishra could not go back to the CRPF, his parent cadre. He alongwith a couple of other paramilitary police officers was later observed in the Punjab Police.

Mr Mishra was a soft spoken and a brilliant officer who often undertook a number of operations against terrorists in Gurdaspur and Batala police districts. Due to the CBI inquiry his promotion too had been stalled.

Currently he was posted as AIG (Armament) at the Punjab Police headquarters here. His cremation is expected to take place tomorrow after his brother arrives from England.

Like Mr Mishra, another state police officer, AIG Ajit Singh Sandhu too had committed suicide by jumping before a train near Dera Bassi in the late 1990's. Mr Sandhu, a former SSP of Tarn Taran was booked in a criminal case by the CBI in a case pertaining to the period of militancy.

Meanwhile the UT police has sealed the room in which the officer committed suicide. A case has been registered and an inquiry into the incident has been ordered.

UNI