Chandigarh, July 23: A private school principal was found dead at his Sector 33 residence in Chandigarh on Tuesday morning after allegedly shooting himself with his father’s licensed double-barrel gun. The 40-year-old man was rushed to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) by family members, but doctors declared him brought dead at 10:30 a.m.
The incident occurred inside the family’s home, where the principal had reportedly locked himself in a room before the fatal shot was heard. Hearing the gunfire, his family broke open the door and found him grievously injured.
“There was no suicide note found at the scene,” a senior police official confirmed. “We are investigating all angles. The exact reason for the suicide is not known yet.”
According to investigators, the principal sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was reportedly living with his wife and young daughter at the time of the incident. Preliminary findings suggest that he had been under psychological stress for some time, but officials cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Udaypal, crime branch in-charge Satwinder Singh, a forensic team, and Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) experts reached the scene shortly after police were alerted. Evidence was collected from the room where the shooting took place.
The body has been sent to the Sector 16 civil hospital mortuary, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted on Wednesday.
“We are trying to reconstruct the chain of events to understand what led to this tragic step,” another officer involved in the investigation said. “Right now, the family is in shock, and our priority is to support them while we carry out our inquiries.”
Police have not released the identity of the deceased, pending further verification and family consent.
