CoBRA commando kills himself with AK-47 in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

Bijapur, August 18

An inspector of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), a jungle warfare unit of the CRPF, died after allegedly shooting himself with his service rifle in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Friday, the police said.

The incident took place around 11am at the headquarters of the 170th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Bijapur town, around 400km from state capital Raipur, a senior police official here said.

The CRPF and its elite unit CoBRA are extensively deployed in south Bastar which comprises three districts, including Dantewada, for anti-Naxal operations.

“Inspector Safi Akhtar, belonging to CoBRA 210th battalion, shot himself with an AK-47 rifle. On hearing the gunshots, his colleagues rushed there and found him seriously injured,” the official said.

Akhtar was taken to a local hospital where he died, he said.

The commando, who was posted in the Mokur camp of CoBRA, had arrived in Bijapur and was scheduled to proceed to Delhi on leave, he said.

“Prima facie the reason for suicide appears to be some family issues. However, no suicide note was found at the spot and an investigation is under way to ascertain the exact reason that prompted him to take the extreme step,” the official added.