NHRC notice to MHA over reported suicide of 19 CRPF personnel between Jan-May

The NHRC on Friday said it has issued a notice to the Union home ministry over reports that 19 CRPF personnel allegedly died by suicide in less than five months between January and May 22.

The rights panel has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raises serious issues of violation of the right to life of the personnel working with the largest central armed police force of the country.

The National Human Rights Commission has "taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that 19 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel died by suicide in less than five months between January and May 22, 2026. According to the reported CRPF data, the force lost 59 personnel due to suicide in 2025. Reportedly, this was the highest number of suicides recorded in the last five years", it said in a statement.

Therefore, it has issued notices to the home secretary, in the Ministry of Home Affairs and the CRPF's director general, seeking a detailed report on it in two weeks, the NHRC said.

"According to the media report, carried on August 11, a total of 281 CRPF personnel died by suicide in the last five years. Of these, approximately 216 were on duty. The CRPF recorded 57 suicides in 2021, 43 in 2022, 57 in 2023, 46 in 2024 and 59 in 2025," the statement said.

In a separate statement, the NHRC said it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that on August 11, one person died and another got injured after inhaling toxic gases allegedly while cleaning a manhole at a factory in Sector-25 of Faridabad district in Haryana.

Reportedly, they entered into the manhole "without any safety equipment," it said.

The Commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raises serious issues of violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued a notice to the Haryana chief secretary and the Faridabad police commissioner, seeking a detailed report on it in two weeks, the statement said.

The report is expected to include the status of the investigation, health of the injured, as well as compensation, if any, provided to him and the next of kin of the deceased.

According to the media report, carried on August 11, the workers were called by the factory owner to clean the manhole, it said.