Top CRPF officer found hanging at his residence

A senior Central Reserve Police Force officer allegedly committed suicide at his official residence in Tilak Nagar. The incident was reported on Thursday after Rakesh Kumar (35), second-in-command of 5th battalion of CRPF, was found hanging by his wife at their residence in the CRPF camp.

Kumar was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead by doctors. A court of Inquiry has been ordered in this connection. No suicide note was found from the spot.

Kumar was the deputy chief of the unit and suicide by a senior officer is very rare in the force.

According to the police, Kumar was upset with his family as they refused to accept his wife, a Kashmiri pandit, even after almost nine years of marriage. His family wanted the CRPF officer to marry within the same caste.

Kumar had got married almost nine years ago when he was posted in Jammu and Kashmir. Kumar, recently posted with the CRPF’s fifth battalion, used to live with his wife and six-year-old son in Tilak Nagar.

“The matter came to light on Thursday when his wife did not get any response despite knocking on his door several times. Later, with the help of her domestic aide, she broke the door, which was locked from inside, and found Kumar hanging from the ceiling,” said a senior police officer.

Kumar’s wife told the police that his family was forcing Kumar to separate from her.