Raipur, Jul 17: As many as 177 security personnel, including nearly 40 from paramilitary forces deployed in Chhattisgarh, committed suicide in the state in the last six-and-a-half years, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma has informed the assembly.

Family, personal issues and health grounds were among the reasons responsible for these suicides, police investigations have found.

In a written reply to a question by senior BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar, Deputy CM Sharma, who holds the home portfolio, informed the House on Wednesday about cases of suicide by security personnel and murders committed by them.

As per the reply, 177 security personnel committed suicide in the state between 2019 and June 15, 2025.

Of them, 26 personnel belonged to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), five to the Border Security Force (BSF), three to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and one each to the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Tripura State Rifles, it said.

The other personnel who committed suicide belonged to different wings of the state police, including the Chhattisgarh Armed Force, Special Task Force, and Home Guard, the reply said.

The CRPF, BSF and ITBP have been extensively deployed in the state for anti-Naxal operations.

According to the government document, 25 security personnel committed suicide in 2019, 38 in 2020, 24 in 2021, 31 in 2022, 22 in 2023, 29 in 2024 and 8 in 2025 (till June 15).

During the last six-and-a-half years, 18 security personnel, including those belonging to paramilitary forces, were involved in incidents of murder. These incidents included a few fratricides in which jawans opened fire on their colleagues.

The written reply by Deputy CM Sharma further stated that upon occurrence of an incident (of suicide/murder by security personnel), investigations are conducted by registering a case with police. During investigation, statements of departmental officers/employees, family members of the deceased and other witnesses are taken in pursuant of further action.

In the investigation of such cases, it has been found that officers/employees mainly commit suicide/murder due to family, personal issues, addiction to alcohol, health reasons and sudden anger, the government reply said.

All Superintendents of Police/Commanders have been carrying out welfare activities like counselling by psychiatrists regarding family problems, depression and mental stress among their subordinate police officers/employees.

The seniors are also providing group counselling, giving regular leave and organising yoga and cultural programmes, among other events, for their subordinates, it said.

Police bank facility has been provided at district/battalion level to deal with financial problems. Motivational sessions are organised for de-addiction and alcohol addicts are encouraged to get treatment in rehabilitation centres, according to the reply.

Officers/employees from constable to inspector level are paid 13 months salary every year. A grievance register is maintained at every police station and company level to address problems of employees. District SPs/Commanders regularly listen to grievances of employees and try to resolve them, it said.

During inspections, senior officers also listen to grievances of employees and make all possible efforts to solve them. Every year, the state/district-level advisory committee holds a meeting to address problems of employees, the government told the House.

Every week on Tuesday and Friday, the Director General of Police listens to grievances of employees at Police Headquarters and resolves them as soon as possible, it added.

New Delhi, Jul 16: Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for a legislation in Parliament’s upcoming Monsoon session to grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

The leaders of opposition in the two houses of Parliament — Kharge is the LoP in the Rajya Sabha and Gandhi is the LoP in the Lok Sabha — also called on the government to bring a legislation to include the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution.

In their joint letter to Modi, Kharge and Gandhi said that for the past five years, the people of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir have consistently called for the restoration of full statehood.

This demand is both legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights, they said.

“It is important to recognise that while there have been instances of Union Territories being granted statehood in the past, the case of Jammu and Kashmir is without precedent in independent India. This is the first time a full-fledged state has been downgraded to a Union Territory following its bifurcation,” the letter said.

“Your goodself has, on multiple occasions, personally reiterated the government’s commitment to restoring statehood. In your interview in Bhubaneswar on 19 May 2024, you stated: ‘The restoration of statehood is a solemn promise we have made and we stand by it’. Again, while addressing a rally in Srinagar on 19 September 2024, you reaffirmed: ‘We have said in Parliament that we will restore the region’s statehood’,” the two leaders said.

The Union government has also made similar assurances before the Supreme Court in the Article 370 matter, submitting that statehood would be restored “at the earliest and as soon as possible”, they pointed out.

“In view of the foregoing and aforementioned, we urge upon the government to bring forward a legislation in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament to grant full statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” Kharge and Gandhi said.

“Additionally, we request that the government bring forward legislation to include the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution,” they said.

This would be a significant step towards addressing the cultural, developmental, and political aspirations of the people of Ladakh, while safeguarding their rights, land, and identity, Kharge and Gandhi said.

The letter comes a day after the top Congress leadership decide to raise issues such as the Pahalgam terror attack, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and rising atrocities against women in the country during the Monsoon session starting July 21.

New Delhi, Jul 16: A bomb threat received through email triggered panic in five private schools of Delhi on Wednesday morning, prompting authorities to immediately evacuate the premises for a thorough check, officials said. This was the third consecutive day that education institutes in the national capital were targeted with bomb threats, which, in the past two days, turned out to be hoaxes.

A call about the email threatening to blow up St Thomas School in Dwarka was received at 5.26 am by the fire control, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj got it at 6.30 am, Mother International in Hauz Khas at 8.12 am and Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar at 8.11 am, the fire services officer said. Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate also received a threatening email, a senior police officer said, adding the school was thoroughly checked and nothing suspicious has been found so far.

In a mail to the parents, the school authorities said, “Due to a potential bomb threat received this morning, and as advised by the police, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya will remain closed today.

A Bomb Disposal Squad is conducting a full sanitisation of the premises.” For St Thomas School, this was a second bomb threat in less than 24 hours. In total, 10 bomb threat emails have been received by nine schools in the city. Staff staying in these schools overnight were immediately taken to safety as a precautionary measure, as teams of Delhi Police, bomb disposal squad, dog squad and cyber experts rushed in for a thorough search. Nothing suspicious has been found so far, the officer said.

Srinagar, July 16: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today addressed a seminar on “J&K’s March Towards Peace” as part of lecture series organized by Gandhi Smriti, at New Delhi. On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor also inaugurated a newly developed ‘Gandhi Smriti Art Gallery’.

The event was also graced by former Union Minister and Vice-Chairman of Gandhi Smriti, Shri Vijay Goel.

In his keynote address, the Lieutenant Governor highlighted the profound and deep bond between Mahatma Gandhi and Jammu Kashmir.

“Pujya Bapu’s philosophy is a source of inspiration for UT and our education system is inculcating the values of truth, non-violence and compassion among youth. Gandhiji saw a ray of hope in Jammu and Kashmir. Gandhiji wanted to see peace and progress in Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fulfilling the dream of Mahatma Gandhi. Since 2019, he has been building a fear-free, terror-free J&K, which would make its place among the developed states and UTs as a symbol of peace,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor reiterated the resolve of the Government of India, Police and the security forces to completely wipe out the entire terror ecosystem and establish a lasting peace in Jammu Kashmir.

“Our policy is peace, driven by the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. We believe in establishing Peace and not buying Peace. India has always followed the path of peace. Indian State authority has been completely established in J&K. Today, the common citizens of Kashmir have understood that their future lies with India. Our youth are being guided towards building a more prosperous future for J&K and their growing involvement is instrumental in this transformative journey.

The local terrorist recruitment is at an all-time low. The decisive action against terrorism and their facilitators and thorough investigations against those trying to radicalize the youth has ensured that peace prevails.

A month-long peace march is organised in the Kashmir valley every year to commemorate Pujya Bapu’s birth anniversary. Gandhi Jayanti, Teachers Day, Har Ghar Tiranga, Independence-day celebrations and numerous other national integration programmes across the UT reflect that J&K is reclaiming its legacy as a land of peace. Youth are now conscious of the fact that J&K of Bapu’s dreams is J&K of unity and peace.

This wind of change has rattled the terrorist nation Pakistan and it constantly tries to hurt the soul of India and its cultural-spiritual fabric. Aim of Pahalgam terrorist attack was to stall economic progress of UT as well but we are marching ahead with renewed strength.

Terrorism is in the DNA of Pakistan and they continue to spread it. The entire global society must unite against this terrorist country Pakistan. We are determined to completely wipe out terrorism and remnants of the terror ecosystem. We will not spare anyone who speaks the language of terror outfits. Strict action will be taken against such elements. Those behind the Pahalgam terror attack have been identified. NIA is investigating and soon the perpetrators will meet the same fate as other top terror commanders,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor, in his address, also highlighted the transformation across the sectors in J&K UT under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said the era of Post Abrogation of Article 370 represents a defining moment in the history of Jammu and Kashmir.  “The Union Territory has marked significant milestones, over the past few years, creating new paradigms for inclusive development. Our economy has doubled in the last 5 years,” the Lieutenant Governor further said.