Agniveer Aparna V Nair is believed to have taken her life owing to personal reasons. (Photo for representation.)
Mumbai: A 20-year-old woman Agniveer, who was undergoing training with the Indian Navy at INS Hamla here, has died by suicide, the Navy said on Tuesday. The police said although no suicide note was found, she is suspected to have taken the extreme step owing to personal reasons.
In a statement, the Navy said: “Regret to inform the unfortunate incident of the unnatural death of Aparna V Nair, Agniveer Logistics (F&A), age 20. An inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident. Indian Navy extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.”
Sources in Mumbai Police said Nair had allegedly hanged herself with a bedsheet in her hostel room. Her roommate discovered the body when she returned.
Later, a postmortem was carried out on Nair’s body after one of her relatives arrived from Kerala.
Nair, a daughter of a farmer’s family from Kerala’s Pathanamthitta, underwent her initial training for four months in Odisha. She was in Mumbai for around one month before the incident.
The Mumbai Police have launched an investigation into the case.
It may be noted that this is the second case of apparent suicide by Agniveer recruits. In October, Agniveer Amritpal Singh from Punjab apparently shot himself during sentry duty in Jammu & Kashmir’s Rajouri sector. The Indian Army had then said it was probing the case.
Data shows that on an average, around 120 service personnel have died each year since 2001 by suicide or self-inflicted injuries.
