On-duty Chhattisgarh jawan shoots self with service rifle

Dantewada: A Chhattisgarh Armed Force jawan, posted on security duty of a Congress MLA, allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon in Dantewada district on Saturday, police said.

Head constable Aashoram Kashyap (37) shot himself with his service AK-47 rifle at around 1 am at MLA Devti Karma's residence here, a senior police official said.

He fired one round from the weapon on his chest, dying on the spot, he said.

Kashyap's colleagues alerted the police, following which his body was taken to the district hospital for post- mortem, he added.

A native of neighbouring Bastar district, Kashyap had joined the police force in 2003 and was posted on security duty of Karma, who is a legislator from Dantewada Assembly segment.

The Chhattisgarh Armed Force is a wing of the state police.

No suicide note has been recovered from the scene and further investigations are underway to ascertain why the deceased had taken the extreme step, the senior official said.