Policeman, posted on security duty of Union minister, shoots self dead

A policeman posted on the security duty of a Union minister allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself dead in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district Tuesday, police said.

"Sub-inspector Tara Babu, 50, committed suicide by shooting himself using his service revolver near Hullahpur crossing in Shahjahanpur," Superintendent of Police, Farrukhabad, Ved Prakash Pandey said.

Babu was posted on security duty during the visit of Union Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla to inaugurate a branch of a bank, he said.

He was speaking to someone on his mobile phone and then went inside a shop. Suddenly he took out his service revolver and fired at himself, said Pandey.

He said Babu was rushed to the Farrukhabad district hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

The body has been sent for post-mortem, the SP said.