Sukma, May 14 – A gopniya sainik (secret trooper) allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday morning at a police camp in Chhattisgarh’s Naxal-affected Sukma district, police officials confirmed.
The incident occurred around 9:30 am at the Bhandaripara police camp, where the deceased, identified as Sodhi Somda, was posted. According to a senior official, preliminary investigations indicate that Somda used a service rifle belonging to a policeman to shoot himself.
He was immediately rushed to the district hospital in Sukma, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
Gopniya sainiks are specially recruited from local communities to aid in intelligence gathering and support anti-Naxal operations in the Bastar region. Their role is critical in the state’s ongoing battle against insurgency in remote and hostile terrains.
The exact motive behind the suicide remains unclear, and police said a detailed investigation is currently underway to ascertain the circumstances leading to the incident.
Authorities have yet to comment on whether operational stress or other personal factors may have contributed to the tragedy.
