A Bastar Fighters personnel died of suicide at his Barada village home, Kondagaon. This incident underscores rising concerns about mental health and stress among security personnel.

Hiralal Nag was a member of the Bastar Fighters, a specialised force formed in 2022 to combat Maoist insurgents. He allegedly used his service pistol to end his life on Saturday night while on leave at home.

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Kondagaon Superintendent of Police Y Akshay Kumar confirmed the incident, noting that Nag’s pistol and mobile phone were recovered from the scene.

Officials from Farasgaon and Keshkal quickly responded to the incident, though the cause remains unclear. Nag’s suicide adds on to similar incidents in Chhattisgarh, where rising stress and isolation among jawans of the security forces have sparked concern.

The Bastar Fighters, consisting of 2,100 personnel recruited from local villages, and trained by the Chhattisgarh Police, were deployed to bolster efforts against Maoist insurgents in one of India’s most challenging operational terrains.

In the last two months alone, five other security personnel, including members from Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) and Sashastra Seema Bal(SSB), have taken their lives in Bastar. Deployment without adequate leave, communication barriers with senior officers, and minimal support are seen as common factors. Notable cases include CRPF jawan Vipul Bhuyan, who died by suicide at Gadiras in September, along with similar cases in Kanker, Dantewada, and Bijapur.

Statistics reveal an urgent crisis – according to the Armed Forces Welfare Associations, mental health cases among Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) surged to nearly 5,000 in 2022 from 3,584 in 2020 . Between 2011 and 2023, over 1,500 CAPF members have died by suicide, and the past five years have seen nearly 47,000 resignations due to high-stress conditions. The Ministry of Home Affairs, which formed a task force in 2021, noted that 80 per cent of suicides occur soon after personnel return from leave, suggesting a need for stronger reintegration support.

Experts stress that urgent reforms are needed to address the escalating crisis, including accessible mental health services, improved communication with senior officials, and regular, sustainable leave. The government now faces an imperative to safeguard the well-being of those who defend the nation’s most volatile regions. With each tragic loss, the need for systemic change grows more pressing, as the lives of India’s defenders depend on it.