Dehra Dun, October 1
A cadet at the Indian Military Academy committed suicide on its 74th Raising Day, the police said today.
The body of Devendra Kumar Sharma, who hailed from the Kandaghat area in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room at 6 am. He was a member of the Siachen Batallion of the IMA.
The 23-year-old cadet was rushed to the IMA Section Hospital where he was declared brought dead.
No suicide note was recovered from the spot, and the body has been sent for autopsy, the police added.
Sharma, who joined the academy in July 2004, was slated to be commissioned into the Army on the completion of training next year.
SOLAN: A pall of gloom descended on Hathon-Tanaina village, near Kandaghat, with the news of IMA cadet Devinder Bhardwaj (23), who hailed from this village, having committed suicide at the IMA, Dehra Dun today.
Having joined the IMA after clearing the NDA exam three years ago, he was the pride of the village. Son of ‘beldar’ Prem Dutt, employed with the Irrigation and Public Health Department at Kandaghat, Devinder had two sisters.
He did his matriculation from Government High School, Qwarag, and then joined Government Senior Secondary School to finish his plus two.
Desperate to lend monetary support to his family, he first joined the Army as a jawan soon after plus two. His determination and hard work motivated him to appear for the NDA exam. The family joy knew no bonds when he cleared the NDA in 2003.
This happiness today transformed into gloom when the
family received the news of his suicide. A team of IMA officials, who visited his native village this afternoon, broke the news. Prem Dutt immediately left for Dehra Dun to get his son’s body. The joy of getting his services regularised with the IPH Department barely a month and a half ago turned into gloom today with this unfortunate news.
His son had come home two months ago and memories are still fresh in the minds of villagers. He was the eldest among the siblings. His two twin sisters are married. His mother, Kamla (68), was inconsolable.
