Army man who 'exposed' abuse at regiment found dead under mysterious circumstances

Kollam: An Army man from Kollam who dared to complain against the mistreatment in the Army camp has met with a tragic end. The body of gunner Roy Mathew, 33, of Cherukulathu Veedu at Karuvelil, Ezhukone here, was found from near the Army camp at Nasik in Maharashtra on Thursday.

Roy Mathew had joined the Indian Army about 13 years ago and was working as a gunner with the rocket regiment 214 in Nasik camp for the past one year.

The issues started as three Army men with the camp, including Roy Mathew, had given statements to a local channel there that the higher officials were mistreating them inside the camp, even forcing them to polish their shoes and wash the laundry.

The visuals were taken with a  hidden camera and aired with their faces masked. However, this was found out by the senior officers, allege the relatives of Roy Mathew. They said Roy Mathew had contacted his wife Fini Roy for the last time on February 25 after which he went missing.   Roy had told his wife that he  had some “issues” at his workplace.  “He was crying over phone,” she said.

“A commanding officer from the camp contacted us on Thursday morning and said a body similar to that of Roy was found from near the Army camp. It was three-day-old and was shifted for autopsy.  The last time we heard from him was on February 25 when he  was mentally disturbed,” said Roy’s brother John Mathew. Thereafter,  his phone remained switched off. The relatives  also tried to contact the Army officers, but in vain. Roy’s wife has also filed a petition with  Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan  on  the incident.