Suicide or mishap? PAC constable dead in Moradabad as INSAS rifle goes off
Due to the TRB (three round burst) system installed in the rifle, three bullets were fired in succession, shattering his head
In a suspected case of death by suicide, a Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) jawan was found dead at the residence of an inspector general (IG) in Moradabad.
According to the police, constable Shubham Kumar, 25, died on the spot after his INSAS rifle went off under his chin. Due to the TRB (three round burst) system installed in the rifle, three bullets were fired in succession, shattering his head.
Kumar was posted as a sentry there. The incident occurred on Monday evening while Shubham was on duty. The police and forensic team reached the spot and conducted an investigation. The reason behind the incident has not yet been determined. Police are investigating whether Shubham committed suicide, or he died due to an accident related to the weapon.
Kumar was a resident of Saidpuri village under jurisdiction of Kiratpur police station area of Bijnor district. He was recruited as a constable in the Uttar Pradesh Police in 2019 and was posted in the 23rd Battalion of the PAC. He was on duty at the IG PAC’s residence, which was vacant since the IG PAC was not stationed there.
Around 5:30 PM on Monday, Kumar was present in the guard room near the gate. Suddenly, shots rang out. Hearing the gunshot, other constables and staff rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood. Upon receiving the information, PAC Deputy Commandant Anoop Singh and DSP Kuldeep Gupta arrived at the scene, and a forensic team was also called.
Civil lines police station house officer Manish Saxena said, “Primary investigations revealed that the INSAS rifle had the TRB system activated, which caused three bullets to fire in succession. It seems the rifle’s barrel was placed below the chin before the trigger was pulled, resulting in his head being shattered”.
SSP Satpal Antil said, “An investigation is underway to determine how the gun was fired. So far, we have not reached any conclusion on whether the constable shot himself or if the incident occurred due to the trigger being pressed accidentally. The family member of the deceased has been informed”.
“Shubham was unmarried. His family consists of his parents, six sisters, and a younger brother. He had a jolly nature and didn’t indicate any sign of mental stress,” said a colleague of the deceased.
In Moradabad, there is the office and residence of the PAC’s Western Zone IG. However, no officer is currently posted there. The premises is used as a guest house. IPS officer Ashutosh Kumar, who is stationed at the PAC headquarters, also holds charge of IG PAC Western Zone, officials said.
