Builder's son kills self with gun; kin claim he was mentally unwell

Bilaspur, Sept 29 (PTI) A 22-year-old NEET aspirant allegedly shot himself dead with his father's licensed gun in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur city on Monday, with his family members claiming that he was battling mental health issues, police said.

The incident occurred in Rajkishore Nagar under the jurisdiction of Sarkanda police station in the morning, said Station House Officer (SHO) Sarkanda, Nilesh Pandey.

The deceased, identified as Sanskar Thakur, was the son of local builder Chitrasen Thakur. He allegedly shot himself with a 12-bore single-barrel gun at his residence, he said.

Police suspect academic pressure and prolonged depression drove Sanskar to take the extreme step.

According to family members, Sanskar had been suffering from mental health issues for the last eight months and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Raipur, Pandey said.

Relatives also told police that he had been preparing for the medical entrance exam (NEET) for the past two years and they were planning to take him to Bhopal for college admission in the coming days, he said.

An accidental death report has been registered, and a further probe is underway. PTI Cor TKP NSK