Poll duty: SSB jawan commits suicide in West Bengal

Kolkata, May 9: A jawan of border guarding force SSB, deployed for election duties in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, on Monday, May 9 allegedly committed suicide after shooting himself from his service rifle.

Officials said the incident occurred early in the morning when constable Sonu K Rathore fired two rounds on himself from his INSAS rifle at a forces' camp duty area in the district.

They said Rathore's unit, Sashastra Seema Bal's 38th battalion, was on election duty in Cooch Behar. Local police officials and senior SSB officers reached the spot.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to go into the reasons as to why Rathore took the extreme step, officials said.

Rathore, a resident of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh, joined SSB in 2012. The force is tasked to guard Indian borders with Nepal and Bhutan.

PTI