CRPF woman constable shoots herself dead

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) A 27-year-old Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) woman constable shot herself with her service gun in the wee hours Sunday in west Delhi, police said, adding that they were verifying if it was a suicide or an accidental death.

Shiuli Patra, a resident of West Bengal's 24 Parganas district, shot herself around 3.45 a.m. inside CRPF's 88 Battalion camp at Sector-8 in Dwarka area.

"Police were informed about the incident around 5.30 a.m. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead. The reason behind her extreme step is yet to be ascertained as no suicide note was recovered from the spot," a police officer said.

The bullet hit her in the chest. "It is yet to be ascertain whether it is an accidental death or suicide. It is too early to say anything before the post-mortem report, which is awaited," the officer said.

Patra's family members have been informed about the incident.

"Patra was posted with CRPF's 135 Battalion based in west Delhi's Vikaspuri. On April 7, she along with some other women constables moved to the 88 Battalion where she was assigned a duty from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on the watch tower," CRPF spokesperson Bhuvan Chand Khanduri told IANS.

She had joined 135 battalion as a constable in 2009.

A CRPF official, who did not wish to be named, told IANS that on CRPF's deputy inspector general's order a group of women constables were sent to 88 Battalion for training ahead of a band competition.

"All these women constables had to go to Gurgaon for training," said the official.