Junior Commanding Officer D B Chetri of 'D' company of 23 Assam Rifles committed suicide at Khonsa under Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday, reportedly due to unbearable stress and strain caused by restless and prolonged anti-insurgency duty.

Though Chetri shot himself dead using his AK-47 service rifle, he had left no suicide note, highly placed sources said on Friday. They added that his extreme step had shocked the entire force as he was awarded the DG medal for his 30 years' outstanding services and nominated for President's Award.

The jawans were put to rigorous counter-insurgency operation duty in Tirap district after reduction of an Assam Rifles battalion, reducing the strength to two in the operational areas, the sources said. This might have caused excessive mental stress during the last few months and also preventing him from availing the annual leave, they added.

Chetri's last rites were performed at Khonsa battalion headquarters on Friday, albeit in the absence of his family members, who were away at his hometown in Nepal.