A 36-year-old police constable committed suicide Sunday morning in a Churchgate-bound local train by shooting himself with his service rifle.

The government railway police (GRP) is investigating why the policeman took the extreme step. The motive is yet to be established, said the police.

According to police officials, Mahadev Gaikwad, a police constable posted with the GRP for the past one year, was on duty when he pulled the trigger on himself in the train.

“The constable was working the nightshift. After finishing his shift on the last train for the day on Saturday, he slept near Borivli police station. In the morning, he planned to board the 5 am train from Borivali towards Churchgate. However, he missed it and instead boarded the 5.29 Churchgate slow local from Borivali. He was in the general compartment, second from the motorman’s cabin. After crossing two stations, the motorman heard a gunshot, but ignored it thinking it must be from outside.”

It was only after the train reached Dadar that commuters who entered the still empty compartment where Gaikwad committed suicide, saw him lying in a pool of blood.

Terrified, the commuters rushed out of the train and informed the GRP officials on the platform. The train was, however, allowed to move on to its destination.

GRP officials at Dadar then relayed the information to their counterparts at Churchgate, who then carried his body to the JJ hospital.

At the hospital, the constable was declared dead on arrival. Officials then took his body to the GT Hospital in CST for post mortem.

Confirming the incident, DCP Deepak Devraj said, “Gaikwad was working as police constable in the force. He shot himself with the rifle he was carrying during duty hours. It was 5:35 early morning, when shot himself in the stomach. He was declared dead and his body was sent for the post-mortem later at GT hospital. We have checked his uniform and bags, but were unable to find a suicide note. We are now taking statements of his colleagues and family members. Only after that will we be able to establish what spurred him to suicide.”

A colleague who did not wish to be named said Gaikwad was probably lonely.

“Gaiwad lived in building No. 3 of Ghatkopar police colony. He was living alone for the past two years. Owing to personal reasons, his wife was living away in a village in Solapur with his eight-year-old son. He had expressed sorrow at not being able to see enough of his son. His father also lives in Solapur,” said the colleague.

The police said his family had been informed and had reached Mumbai Sunday evening.