Soldier found dead with gunshot injury in army supply vehicle, police begin probe

Udhampur, Sept 23: An Army soldier died under mysterious circumstances after sustaining a gunshot injury in Udhampur district on Tuesday, triggering a probe into whether the fatal incident was the result of an accidental discharge or an act of suicide.

According to official sources, the incident occurred in the Military Hospital area of Udhampur, where the soldier was serving as a driver for a supply vehicle transporting medicines. He was found with a fatal gunshot wound inside his 407 Army supply truck. Eyewitnesses and fellow soldiers rushed to the spot after hearing the gunshot, but the soldier succumbed before medical assistance could reach him.

Initial reports suggest that the firing may have been accidental, though investigators are not ruling out the possibility of self-inflicted injury. “The exact cause remains unverified. Both accidental discharge and suicide are part of the ongoing investigation,” a police official familiar with the case told the news agency Kashmir News Trust.

Police have registered a case and initiated legal proceedings. [KNT]