Post News Network
Hinjlicut, Jan 1: In a shocking incident, a jawan of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) here in Ganjam district committed suicide by firing at himself from his service AK-47 rifle when the whole area was busy celebrating ‘zero night’ to welcome the New Year.
The deceased was identified as Jeetendra Patra (35), a bachelor and resident of Cinema Hall Square in the town. He committed suicide on National Highway-59 in front of the court of the judicial magistrate first class(JMFC). Patra was working as a constable in the 6th battalion of IRB and was posted in Balasore.
Police rushed to the spot but failed to ascertain the actual reason behind his suicide. Preliminary inquiry, however, revealed that he escaped to his home town with his service rifle from Balasore. Chatters were abuzz that Patra might have taken the extreme step after his failure in a love affair.
Sources said the locals first heard blasts thrice at about 11.57 pm but they ignored it assuming that someone might have burst crackers for ‘zero night’ celebrations. The matter came to fore when some home guards on night patrolling duty reached the spot and found the body lying in a pool of blood with an AK-47 rifle lying near it.
On being informed, the police reached the spot and sent the body to a local hospital. The police also seized the rifle and four empty shells from the spot. Police then identified the deceased and informed his family members. Later a mobile phone, a knife and a bag was also seized from the dead jawan.
On examination of Patra’s mobile phone, it was revealed that he had sent SMSes to his elder brother and a friend alerting them that he will not be alive to see the New Year. The police informed the IRB authorities in Balasore and found that he sneaked out of his barrack and reached Hinjilicut bus-stand in a car at about 11.30 pm. He then walked towards his house but stopped outside the JMFC court. Patra kept his bag in front of a shop and shot twice at the lights on the utility poles before shooting himself dead.
A case has been registered and his body handed over to his family members after completion of post-mortem, local police station inspector-in-charge (IIC) Subhash Chandra Panda said.
