A policeman allegedly shot himself dead using his service rifle at the iconic Writers' Building on Friday afternoon, officials said.
The incident happened around 3.25 pm at the British-era building, which was the state secretariat before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee moved to the 14-floor Nabanna on the other bank of the Hooghly River in 2013.
The constable, identified as 34-year-old Bishwajit Karak of the Kolkata Police's 5th battalion, was on medication for depression, officials said.
The constable was posted at gate number 6, which is at present used by VVIPs, including some senior ministers to enter the building, they said.
He was sitting on a chair at the other end of the gate in front of the press corner when the incident happened, officials said, adding that his shift began at 2.30 pm.
"He used his service rifle to shoot himself. We are investigating the matter. The manner in which the bullet was fired and seeing its direction, we can presume that Karak died by suicide," deputy commissioner (central) Sudheer Kumar Neelakantam told reporters after visiting the spot.
He was taken to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, sources said.
Bishwajit Karak, who had joined the force around 10 years ago, was from Purba Medinipur district and lived in a rented accommodation in the city's Lake Town area, they said.
His wife is working as a nurse at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The policeman was on medication for depression for quite some time, the sources said.
The Writers' Building, which is under renovation, at present houses only a few government departments while the rest have been shifted to various other places.
(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: AASRA: 91-22-27546669 (24 hours) Sneha Foundation: 91-44-24640050 (24 hours) Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health: 1860-2662-345 and 1800-2333-330 (24 hours) iCall: 022-25521111 (Available from Monday to Saturday: 8:00am to 10:00pm) Connecting NGO: 18002094353 (Available from 12 pm - 8 pm)
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