‘About 177 cops, security personnel have committed suicide since 2019’

Raipur: As many as 177 security and police personnel, including nearly 40 from paramilitary forces deployed in Chhattisgarh, have committed suicide in the state in the last six-and-a-half years, the Assembly was informed on Wednesday.

Family, personal issues and health grounds were among the reasons responsible for these suicides, police investigations have found.

In a written reply to a question by senior BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who holds the home portfolio, informed about the cases of suicide by security personnel and murders committed by them.

As per the reply, 177 security personnel have committed suicide in the state between 2019 and June 15, 2025.

Of them, 26 personnel belonged to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), five to the Border Security Force (BSF), three to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and one each to the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Tripura State Rifles, it said.

The other personnel who committed suicide belonged to different wings of the state police, including the Chhattisgarh Armed Force, Special Task Force, and Home Guard, the reply said.

The CRPF, BSF and ITBP have been extensively deployed in the state for anti-Naxal operations.

According to the government document, 25 security personnel committed suicide in 2019, 38 in 2020, 24 in 2021, 31 in 2022, 22 in 2023, 29 in 2024 and 8 in 2025 (till June 15).

During the last six-and-a-half years, 18 security personnel, including those belonging to paramilitary forces, were involved in incidents of murder. These incidents included a few fratricides in which jawans opened fire on their colleagues.

The written reply by Deputy CM Sharma further stated that upon occurrence of an incident (of suicide/murder by security personnel), investigations are conducted by registering a case with police.

During investigation, statements of departmental officers/employees, family members of the deceased and other witnesses are taken in pursuant of further action.

In investigation of such cases, it has been found that officers/employees mainly commit suicide/murder due to family, personal issues, addiction to alcohol, health reasons and sudden anger, the government reply said.