The trend of suicides in the Indian Army is escalating rapidly, with a suicide occurring approximately every third day. The suicide rate among Indian Army personnel has reached 16.5 per 100,000 soldiers.
Between 2010 and 2019, 895 soldiers from the Indian Army, 185 from the Indian Air Force, and 32 from the Indian Navy took their own lives. On average, over 100 suicides are reported annually in India-held Kashmir.
Since 2014, there have been 983 reported suicides in the Indian Army, 96 in the Indian Navy, and 246 in the Indian Air Force. Since 2001, more than 3,300 Indian soldiers have committed suicide.
In the past five years alone, over 800 armed forces personnel ended their lives, reportedly due to mistreatment from their superiors. Notable cases include Colonel Khanna, who committed suicide on January 23, 2023, by hanging, and Lieutenant Colonel Nishant, who took his life on January 9, 2023, after fatally shooting his wife.
The issue extends to female officers as well. In 2006, Lieutenant Sushmita Chakraborty committed suicide just 10 months after joining, citing coercion to attend late-night parties and illicit demands from superiors. Similarly, Lieutenant Colonel Rashmi Mishra ended her life in October 2019, and Major Anita Kumari committed suicide in December 2016.
The pervasive discriminatory behavior from senior officers has led to 47,000 personnel and officers seeking voluntary retirement or resignation.
