Family members of BSF jawan Jyotiprakash Panda (25) of Jajpur district, who reportedly committed suicide with his own service revolver at the Hemtabad camp in Raigunj in Siliguri of West Bengal on Sunday, accepted his body on Wednesday after the Jajpur Sub-Collector assured them of a probe into his death.
Demanding a judicial probe into the death, the family members had earlier declined to accept the body.
The family members have raised doubts on the facts and circumstances relating to Panda’s death. They claim to have received a call from his camp informing them that he died in battle. However, when Panda’s brother visited the camp, it was revealed that he had committed suicide.
Panda’s body arrived at his village on Wednesday. He belonged to Chandipur in the district and was a member of the BSF 167th Battalion.
According to a report in the West Bengal media, Panda shot himself in his neck with his service revolver after his duty and died on the spot.