24-Year-Old SSB Constable Found Dead With Service Rifle at Kishanganj Camp

A 24-year-old Sashastra Seema Bal constable was found dead with a gunshot wound while on sentry duty at the 19th Battalion camp in Kishanganj district of Bihar in the early hours of Sunday, in a case that has prompted a police inquiry and forensic examination.

The deceased has been identified as Chayan Mandal, though some accounts spell his name as Chain Mandal. He was a native of West Bengal and was posted with A Company of the 19th Battalion at the SSB camp in Gilabari under Thakurganj block, within the jurisdiction of Jiyapokhar police station. Police said his assigned service rifle was recovered near the body.

Officials said Mandal had been transferred to Gilabari from Kaddubhittha and had returned to duty only two days earlier after being on leave. He had joined the SSB in 2024, completed training, and was posted in Kishanganj in 2025.

According to police, Mandal was serving alone on sentry duty from midnight. Around 3 a.m., the next sentry found him lying unresponsive at the duty post with a bullet injury. A spent cartridge from the INSAS rifle assigned to him was recovered from the scene, and the weapon was found near his feet. No suicide note was found. His mobile phone has been seized for examination.

Investigators said heavy rain at the time may have muffled the sound of the gunshot, which could explain why the incident was not discovered immediately. Jiyapokhar Station House Officer Gautam Kumar said the incident likely took place sometime between midnight and 3 a.m., the period during which Mandal was on duty.

Kumar said police were examining several possibilities and had not reached a final conclusion on the cause of death or the motive. He said investigators were looking into a possible personal relationship issue, including reports that Mandal had been on a video call shortly before the incident. Phone records, duty logs and other evidence are being reviewed as part of the probe.

Officials also said the position of the body appeared consistent with a self-inflicted injury while seated, but stressed that this remained under verification. Kishanganj Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar has ordered an inquiry into the death.

A forensic science laboratory team visited the site and collected evidence. The post-mortem examination was conducted at Sadar Hospital in Kishanganj, after which SSB personnel took charge of the body for handover to the family.

On Monday, local representatives visited the camp and called for a high-level investigation into the circumstances surrounding the constable’s death. Police said the investigation is continuing.