Top Mumbai cop kills himself with service revolver

Months before his retirement, a senior police officer on Monday ended his life allegedly by shooting himself with the service revolver at his office in suburban Dahisar, police said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Baburao Gaikwad of Dahisar division shot himself in his head with 9mm revolver at his office in the premises of Dahisar police station this afternoon, City Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal told PTI.

The 57-year-old officer returned to his office after attending a meeting at Azad Maidan Police club in south Mumbai and pumped one bullet in his head after locking the door from inside, police said.

According to police, after entering in his cabin, the 1981-batch of the Maharashtra Police Service officer changed his clothes and asked his orderly for his service revolver.

After a while, Gaikwad's colleagues rushed to his room as they heard the bullet shot and found the door locked from inside. The rear door was broken open and the officer was found lying on the floor in a pool of blood, police said.

The ACP was rushed to the nearby civic-run Bhagwati hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival, Dayal said, adding the reason behind the extreme step is not yet known and no suicide note was found.

"But it appears that because of personal problems he might have killed self. His son is mentally challenged. He also had blood pressure and joints problem. We are looking into all angles to ascertain the reason behind the suicide," the police chief said.

The police officer, who hailed from Jalkot village in Latur district and lived in suburban Borivali, is survived by his wife and three children, police said adding he was to retire after seven months.

Of the two daughters of Gaikwad, one is a dentist while the second daughter is working abroad, police said.