What is driving Kerala cops to choose death by suicide

On the evening of October 23, a senior Civil Police Officer (CPO) in the northern Kerala district of Kozhikode reportedly died by suicide. MP Sudheesh was found hanging near the Kuttiyadi police station in Kozhikode. His suicide note reportedly accused some of his higher-ranking officers of subjecting him to severe mental distress. According to the news agencies, family members of the CPO and residents of his native village have asserted that the officer's decision to take the extreme step stem from job-related stress inflicted by his superiors.

On October 4, 2023, Joby Das a police driver from Sakthi Puram, Muvvattupuzha of Ernakulam district was found dead at his residence. In a suicide note found next to Joby’s body, he accused two of his senior colleagues of being responsible for his death. The note alleged the seniors obstructed his promotion. In an emotional plea, Joby urged his children not to consider a career in the police force under any circumstances and encouraged them to seek alternative, respectable employment opportunities.

Ten days later, another civil police officer, Geethu Krishnan from Kollam, stationed at the Thrissur West police station was found hanging within the station house’s compound. He had been assigned the night shift and was found hanging in the police station’s rest area at approximately 7 am the following day. Initial investigations indicated that the officer took his own life. He had been grappling with significant financial problems and had been experiencing stress for a considerable period.

In October 2022, A 54-year-old woman station house officer (SHO) from Wayanad went missing on duty and was later traced in Thiruvanathapuram. KA Elizabeth, SHO of the Panamaram police station, went missing after she being assigned court evidence duty at a fast-track special court in Palakkad. It was later revealed that she was under tremendous stress and subsequently decided to go absent without leave.

Suicides among police officers in Kerala have become a frequent occurrence, with statistics revealing that more than 80 law enforcement personnel have tragically ended their own lives in the past seven years.

From 2014 to 2019, the number of suicides within the police force amounted to a total of 71, with a yearly breakdown as follows — 2014: 9, 2015: 7, 2016: 15, 2017: 14, 2018: 13, and 2019: 13. There are many reasons for suicides among cops and many internal probes have been carried out during the last 10 years.

Zeroing in on reasons

According to an official communique issued by the Kerala Police Chief in June 2023, it was stated that the demanding work hours, insufficient opportunities for rest, and the intricate nature of police duties are factors that add to the emotional strain experienced by police officers. Additionally, family issues were identified as a significant contributor to the increasing incidents of suicides among law enforcement personnel.

To address these challenges, the top cop proposed the implementation of educational sessions and awareness campaigns to mitigate this trend among police officers. This information was derived from the findings of two reports submitted by the Inspector Generals who are in-charge of the northern and southern regions of the state. Yoga training and counselling services for police officers, particularly those in lower positions, were implemented as outlined in a circular issued by the SPC. However, the programme did not yield the anticipated results.

The distress within the police force can be primarily attributed to the persisting colonial-era power structure. When combined with unreasonable working hours and an uneven distribution of duties, it creates a dangerous mix that many officers believe is pushing them to take their own lives.

Umesh Vallikkunnu, a civil police officer known for his outspoken demeanour and politically charged social media content, which has sparked numerous controversies, feels this is not the way to go about it.

“Certain officers compel their subordinates to engage in various unlawful activities, ranging from manufacturing marijuana joints to instances of custodial deaths, among other offenses. In the event of exposure, it is typically the individual who carried out the unlawful act who faces the consequences. Many police officers engage in these actions without fully realising the implications, often performing them as a matter of routine within the system known as the police force,” wrote Umesh on his Facebook wall and unsurprisingly got served a show-cause notice by the higher-ups.

Police officers in India, especially those on the front lines, have a tough job. They deal with things like angry crowds, fighting against insurgents, controlling traffic, protecting important people, managing political rallies, and managing law and order during religious festivals. They have to do all this while staying calm and sensitive. This makes their job very stressful, with high stakes involved. Given the challenging demands of police work and the strain it puts on individuals, it’s crucial to grasp the stress experienced by police officers and the different factors linked to it.

A study conducted by the community medicine department of a private medical college among the civil police officers of a sub section under the Thrissur police district in 2019, revealed that more than 30% civil police officers had a history of alcohol use. In terms of chronic health conditions, 17.1% of the study population had reported hypertension, while some had diabetes and asthma.

Staff shortages, excessive administrative duties, bureaucratic red tape, dealing with the court system, the feeling that different rules apply to different people — favouritism, constant changes in policy/legislation, inconsistent leadership style, lack of resources, unequal sharing of work responsibilities, inadequate equipment, internal investigations and dealing with coworkers, are the main organisational stressors identified.

There are certain operational stressors too, such as ‘not enough time available to spend with friends and family’, fatigue and traumatic events.

To address stress within the police force, the government should take a comprehensive approach, considering both the stress factors from day-to-day operations and the organisation itself. It’s essential for the institution to commit to providing stress management training regularly. This can enhance competitiveness, teamwork, enthusiasm, initiative, and coping abilities. Making changes like sharing work responsibilities and having fixed duty hours can also help prevent stress and its negative consequences within the police department.

Beyond work

But some say the reasons for suicides may not necessarily all be work related.

“When a policeman dies by suicide, multiple factors, such as alcoholism, online gambling, and falling into debt traps, come into play. It’s not entirely fair to lay all the blame on the police force itself. Currently, undoubtedly there is work pressure and instances of harassment by superiors, but I don’t believe it reaches a point where someone takes their own life. The most urgent requirement for the department is to increase its staff. Recruitment has been declining, and numerous new projects are stretching the existing workforce thin,” said a cop belonging to the special armed police, Thiruvananthapuram.

“While there have been some cases of suicides due to stress, the number is relatively low. Unfortunately, no formal studies have been conducted on this matter. If such incidents occur, there may be memos from higher-ups, with officers receiving training, including yoga and other wellness techniques. However, these efforts often dwindle within a few weeks,” he added.

Sharing a recent example of an armed battalion cop’s attempted suicide on the camp premises, the SAP cop said, “The victim was a sports quota CPO and he was being harassed by his senior officer. He tried to slash his wrist and was taken to the hospital by some friends in the camp. Later, it was found that he along with his friends staged the entire show to get the attention of the higher-ups to the harassment they are undergoing.”

“Certainly, there should be changes. However, we don’t believe that occupational stress is the sole cause of police suicides. The media is receiving inaccurate information and publishing misleading stories about it" says EV Pradeepan, general secretary of the Kerala Police Association, adding, “As far as the organisation is concerned, we do not have any such formal complaint related to occupational stress.”

Voices of dissent

However, not everyone agrees. A few policemen who The Federal spoke to do not agree with the association’s version.

“The work pressure is certainly an issue. Normally, we are on duty for at least 12 hours a day and yet have to plead with the SHOs to let us go home. Weekly off days have become a joke for us. These sort of conditions would not make a happy policeman,” a head constable working in a rural station of Ernakulam district said on the condition of anonymity.

“We need to recruit more police personnel and provide them with proper training and motivation at the lower ranks. Improving how we manage our workforce and their relationships with each other can help create a better working environment. To reduce stress among police officers, we should also cut down on paperwork by implementing information systems, offer flexible working hours, and assign tasks based on individual preferences, gender, and experience,” said a middle-level officer requesting anonymity.

The Kerala police force comprises over 58,000 personnel who serve across the state’s 14 districts. Surprisingly, there have been relatively fewer studies conducted among police personnel in Kerala to date.

“There should be a firm institutional commitment to offer regular stress management training. This training should aim to enhance competitiveness, promote cooperation, enthusiasm, initiative, and improve coping skills. To prevent stress and its negative consequences, adjustments like workload distribution and fixed duty hours should be implemented within the police department,” said a police officer who had been instrumental in providing some of his colleagues the psychiatric help they desperately needed.

“As far as woman cops are concerned, the stress level is even higher. They have to strike a balance between the family and the profession,” said a woman civil police officer in Ernakulam. “I used to take therapy to manage stress and it is not easy to do it with all of your colleagues keeping an eye on you.”

On its part, the police department claimed it is trying to help.

According to the Kerala Police Activity Report of 2019, they have set up counselling centres at the district level to help personnel suffering from stress.

About 10,000 police personnel and their family members have benefited from these centres till date.

Suicide helpline numbers:

(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)