CRPF’s big suicide prevention move after 59 deaths in ranks last year

In response to a concerning surge in suicides among its personnel, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has established a high-level core group to conduct monthly reviews of such incidents. This move comes after a meeting at the CRPF headquarters earlier this month, where senior officers emphasized the necessity of a structured mechanism to investigate and address self-harm cases.

According to official data, suicides among CRPF personnel hit a five-year high in 2025, with 59 reported deaths. The figures show a steady increase from 57 in 2021, 43 in 2022, 57 in 2023, 46 in 2024, and 59 in 2025, with 19 deaths reported up to May 30 this year.

To oversee this initiative, the core group will be headed by CRPF Director General GP Singh, who will convene the group every month in the third week to review self-harm incidents from the previous period. Each case will be examined for its causes and circumstances, the availability and use of welfare or psychological support, preventive steps taken by the unit, and any systemic issues that need correction.

The head of the respective office or battalion commandant will present a structured four- to five-slide video conference report, detailing the individual's background, incident circumstances, unit actions, welfare and medical interventions, preliminary inquiry findings, and preventive measures taken to avoid recurrence.

The supervisory operational head of the unit, along with the relevant DIG, IG, ADG, or SDG exercising operational control, will attend these reviews via video conference. The core group's primary goal is to conduct objective examinations of each case, recommending preventive, welfare, administrative, and medical measures as needed.

Additionally, the group will identify common trends and recurring risk factors from reviewed cases, proposing institutional interventions at the force level to reduce self-harm among CRPF personnel.