Indian army has revealed that around 140 soldiers died every year of suicides since 2001, and in such cases military funerals were not accorded. Dismissing criticism for not according military funeral to an agniveer, a soldier recruited for a four-year period, who shot himself dead last week in Rajouri district of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian army said that Agniveer Amritpal Singh committed suicide by shooting himself while on duty and that military honours were not extended to his funeral as deaths arising out of self-inflicted injuries are not given such honours. The army asserted that it does not differentiate among soldiers based on whether they joined the force prior to or after the implementation of the Agnipath scheme, policy of soldier recruitment.

There were allegations that the military honours were not extended to Singh’s funeral as he was an Agniveer soldier. The Army’s Nagrota-headquartered White Knight Corps said that Singh died while on sentry duty in Rajouri sector due to a self-inflicted gunshot injury. “As per data held, there has been an average yearly loss ranging between 100-140 soldiers since 2001 where deaths occurred due to suicides/self-inflicted injuries, and military funeral in such cases was not accorded,” the army said.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)