Agniveer Trainee Woman Dies By Suicide In Mumbai Hostel, No Note Found

New Delhi: A young woman who was training to become a soldier in the Indian Navy allegedly hanged herself in her hostel room at a naval facility in Mumbai on Monday, police said. The 20-year-old woman, who hailed from Kerala, was part of the Agniveer batch at the INS Hamla in Malwani area of Malad, a western suburb of the city, an official said. She had joined the training centre 15 days ago after completing her basic training, he said.

The official said that the woman was found hanging in her room on Monday morning by her roommate, who alerted the authorities. The police were informed and the body was sent for post-mortem, he said. No suicide note was recovered from the spot, he added.

The official said that the preliminary investigation suggested that the woman took the extreme step due to some personal issues, but the exact reason was yet to be ascertained. The police have registered a case of accidental death and are probing the matter further, he said.

The woman was among the Agniveers, a special category of soldiers recruited by the armed forces under the Agnipath scheme, which was launched in 2022. The scheme aims to train and employ young men and women from rural and backward areas of the country in various roles in the defence sector.