New Delhi: Country's frontline fighting force against China--the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)--has decided to compulsorily retire over 100 of its serving soldiers after they were found to be suffering from various type of psychiatric disorders including the incurable Alzheimer's disease.
The cases in the mountain-trained paramilitary has sent alarm bells ringing after it was found that troops who have largely served over a decade in the force, could become a ‘serious risk' for their colleagues or could turn ‘maniac' while rendering sensitive duties in the internal security domain of the country or during border guarding duties.
Officials and medical experts in the force said while there is no conclusive reason to suggest the exact reasons for these mental disorders and disability diseases cropping up in the force, some of the reasons could be attributed to the genetic history of the individual soldier while some factors related to stress on duty and family tensions too can lead to the eruption of such traits in the force personnel.
"A number of cases have already been taken care of. There are about 40 more such cases currently in the force but in a majority of cases we found the reasons can be attributed to genetic history of the person and reasons related to family troubles," a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.
The cases have been noticed in troops who have served for long periods in the force, the official added.
