'The jawans are overstretched and the bond with their seniors is weakening'

Most boys want to join CISF as work conditions are reasonably good, unlike in BSF, ITBP

On Thursday, a jawan of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) gunned down four of his seniors, apparently for being denied leave. Reports now suggest that the jawan was “mentally ill”. In the past too, incidents of fratricide have been reported in defence and paramilitary forces. PRAKASH SINGH, former chief of the Border Security Force, Uttar Pradesh Police and Assam Police, speaks to Veenu Sandhu about the reasons for such incidents and the pressures soldiers face. Edited excerpts:
 
What are the possible triggers for such cases?
 
CISF is today the most coveted of the Central Armed Police Forces (colloquially referred