Assam Home Secretary shots himself dead after wife dies in hospital

Assam IPS officer and Home Secretary Siladitya Chetia allegedly died by suicide at a private hospital in Guwahati after his wife passed away following a prolonged illness on Tuesday, police said.

Chetia, a 2009-batch IPS officer, allegedly shot himself with his service weapon inside the ICU where his wife died, they said.

He had earlier served as SP of Tinsukia and Sonitpur districts, and commandant of the 4th Battalion of the Assam Police before being posted as the home secretary of the state.

GP Singh, the Director General of Police, Assam, informed the masses about the officer's death. He said he died by suicide minutes after wife's death because of cancer.

"In an unfortunate turn of events, Sri Shiladitya Chetia IPS 2009 RR, Secretary Home and Political Government of Assam, took his own life this evening, a few minutes after the attending physician declared the death of his wife who was battling cancer for a long time. Entire Assam Police family is in deep grief," said the Assam Police chief.