Patna, Aug. 5: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) headquarters in New Delhi has constituted a three-member team to inquire into the death of a woman constable, Naina Basudev, who allegedly shot herself.

The constable had allegedly used her service rifle at Bathnaha, the headquarters of the 24th battalion, in Araria district, to allegedly shoot herself on July 30.

The victim, said to be a resident of Pune in Maharashtra, was admitted to a Siliguri hospital for treatment where she later succumbed to her injuries. Naina’s relatives had demanded a probe expressing doubts over her sudden decision to take the extreme step.

“The SSB headquarters has already ordered an inquiry into the circumstances leading to her death,” said AKC Singh, the commandant of the 24th battalion of the SSB deployed in Araria district to guard the India-Nepal border.

Singh told The Telegraph over phone that the members of the team comprising S.K. Gyani, the commandant of the 19th battalion, Navin Kumar and Pravin Kumar, both second in command at Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh and Jay Nagar in Bihar respectively, visited the spot on Friday and inquired about the incident from the SSB personnel.

Sources said the members of the team also spoke to the SSB personnel, who were the first to reach the spot after hearing the sound of gunfire. The headquarters has asked SSB’s deputy inspector general K.P. Singh to cooperate with the investigation team, even though he is not a part of the probe team.

The commandant of the 24th battalion claimed that Naina had told the SSB officials that she committed suicide by shooting herself with her service rifle on her own. “I am deeply ashamed of my act,” the commandant quoted Naina as saying.

He said the SSB headquarters ordered a probe to dispel doubts of the victim’s family that she was murdered.

“Why anybody will eliminate a woman constable?” the commandant asked. He ruled out the possibility of any foul play.

The commandant, however, failed to explain the reason that prompted Naina to take the extreme step.

Sources said the probe team would also visit the hospital where Naina was admitted for treatment and record the statement of the doctors and the paramedical staff. “We will not reveal anything at this juncture,” a member of the visiting team said.

A senior officer posted at the SSB frontier headquarters in Patna said Naina was quite normal on the day she allegedly committed suicide. “Her family members told the officials that she never complained of any harassment at the workplace,” he said.

The officer said it was quite surprising that a woman, who was well-behaved and courteous to everyone, suddenly took the extreme step and ended her life. “No suicide note has been recovered from the spot or the room she was staying in,” he pointed out.