Death sentence for Indian soldier

Low morale is seen as a key problem in the Indian army

An Indian military court has sentenced a soldier to death for killing his commanding officer.

SC Behra was found guilty of murdering Lt-Col Saket Saxena on 31 October last year in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The sentence must be upheld by the army chief, after which the soldier can still appeal in a civil court.

Such shootings have risen in the state in recent years, blamed on fatigue and stress. In 2006, 32 soldiers were killed by comrades across India.

More than 100 took their own lives in the same year, the army says.

Observers say poor service conditions, inadequate home leave, low pay and a communication gap with superiors all contribute to low morale in the million-strong force.

Reports say troops in Indian-administered Kashmir, who have been fighting separatist militants since 1989, suffer high levels of psychological trauma.

Defence Minister AK Antony has expressed concern over the increasing number of soldiers taking their lives and killing themselves or others.