MP: Cop shoots self with service rifle at police station

A 50-year-old head constable allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at a police station in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabuadistrict on Friday morning, police said.

The incident took place around 7.15 am at Kakanvanipolice station, about 45 km from the district headquarters, an official said.

Head constable Saifuddin Qureshi shot himself with his service rifle in the chamber of the police station in-charge, he said.

''Qureshi was suffering from high blood pressure and had returned to duty four days ago after a medical check-up, ''the police station in-charge Dinesh Bhanwar said.

A resident of Badnagar, Qureshi, who is the in-charge of the police station's cloakroom, had been posted here since September 2020, he said.

The motive behind his extreme step is yet to be known, the official said, adding that the deceased policeman's body will be handed over to his relatives after post-mortem.

Senior police officials also reached the spot soon after getting information about the incident, he said, adding that further investigation is on.