The trend of suicide in the Indian Army is increasing rapidly, as one suicide is being reported every third day.
The rate of suicides in the Indian Army has reached 16.5% for every 100,000 soldiers.
According to details, from 2010 to 2019, 895 Indian Army personnel, 185 Indian Air Force personnel and 32 Indian Navy personnel committed suicide. An average of more than 100 suicides occur annually in India-held Kashmir.
Since 2014, 983 suicide cases have been reported in the Indian Army, 96 in the Indian Navy and 246 in the Indian Air Force. Since 2001, more than 3,300 Indian soldiers have committed suicide in various incidents.
In the last five years alone, more than 800 Indian armed forces personnel ended their lives after being fed up with the behaviour of their superiors. On January 23, 2023, Col Khanna committed suicide by hanging himself with a fan.
On January 9, 2023, Lt Col Nishant committed suicide after shooting his wife in Ferozepur. Not just male, but Indian Army's women officers are also forced to commit suicides. In 2006, Lt. Sushmita Chakraborty took her own life just 10 months after her recruitment.
She had alleged that her higher-ups used to force her to accompany them to late night dance parties and make illicit demands.
In October 2019, Lt Col Rashmi Mishra committed suicide by hanging herself with a dupatta in Pune, while in December 2016, Major Anita Kumari ended her life by shooting herself in the head in Jammu.
Due to the discriminatory behaviour of the senior officers of the Indian armed forces, 47,000 personnel and officers have sought voluntary retirement and/or resigned.
