A constable with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) allegedly shot himself to death while on duty on a running train on Thursday.
R.S. Panwar, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, was a constable with the Yerraguntla post falling under South Central Railways’ Guntakal railway division. Deployed on escort duty on the 11027 Mumbai CST – Chennai Central Express, Panwar was found in a pool of blood near the toilet when the train was passing through Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Panwar and another constable G. Ravindra Reddy were said to have been carrying two 9 mm pistols and 10 rounds of ammunition each.
As Ravindra Reddy alerted Yerraguntla and Kadapa units, the body was immediately brought down to the platform as the train approached Nandalur station at 10.38 p.m. He was declared brought dead by a railway doctor who reached the spot in 10 minutes. According to railway sources, the constable from Saharanpur had remained disillusioned with some domestic problems and had joined duty only a few days back after visiting his home town on a fortnight’s leave. Meanwhile, railway police have registered a case and are investigating. Those who are in distress can contact police helpline No. 100.
