A 22-year-old Agniveer jawan Shrikant Kumar Chaudhary was found dead on the night of July 2 around 1:30 am. The young soldier reportedly took his own life by shooting himself with an INSAS service rifle. Chaudhary, originally from Narayanpur in Ballia, had been serving as a sentry in Indian Air Force under the Agniveer scheme for the past one and a half years.
The reason behind the suicide remains unclear. No suicide note was found at the scene. Chaudhary’s brother-in-law and other relatives took custody of the body and no formal written complaint was filed by them. Police said they would take action if the family decided to file a complaint.
Shrikant’s elder brother Siddhant arrived at the Agra Air Force Station, from where he took the body to his village, prompting an outpouring of grief. The body was taken to Hukumchhpara Chhapra Ghat along the river Ganges. A contingent of 45 Air Force personnel, dispatched from Bihar’s Bihta, rendered a final salute before the cremation.
Born and raised in Pachrukhiya New Basti (Narayanpur), Chaudhary joined the Air Force in 2022 through the Cenbtre’s Agniveer recruitment programme. The family sought answers about the circumstances surrounding Shrikant’s death, but officials remained tight-lipped. Air Force Corporal B Singh, who accompanied the body, revealed only that the cause of death was a gunshot wound. A board of inquiry has been instituted to investigate the incident.
Inspector Amit Kumar Maan of Shahganj Police said Chaudhary was rushed to the hospital by Air Force personnel, where he was pronounced dead. Preliminary findings indicate that the soldier shot himself between the eyebrows, the bullet passing through the upper part of his head. The rifle has been sent to the forensic lab in Agra for analysis.
This loss brings to mind the 2019 case of Himanshu Singh of Moradabad, a squadron leader whose body was found hanging in his Air Force campus residence.
Also Read: Centre Seeks States’ Help In Security To Ensure Integrity Of Entrance Exams
