MAHARAJGANJ: A 33-year-old head constable posted at Nichlaul police station in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district allegedly attempted suicide on Sunday (November 08) night after accusing his station house officer (SHO) and other personnel of harassing him over seized firecrackers.
Vishal Singh was found unconscious on the police station premises late on Sunday night. He was taken to a government hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Maharajganj. His condition was reported to be improving, according to police reports.
Before the incident, Singh had posted a note as his WhatsApp status, accusing the SHO and other personnel of harassing him over the handling of seized firecrackers.
In the note, Singh alleged that around 40 per cent of the seized firecrackers had been taken away and that some of the remaining stock had been handed over to an accused, identified as Kausman Ali, allegedly under pressure from the SHO. He also claimed that he had been humiliated after being accused of stealing the firecrackers.
The note named SHO Yogendra Rai, constables Manish Singh and Anand Singh, BJP MLA Premsagar Patel, and Vishal Yadav, Bholu Yadav and Alok Sharma. Singh also claimed that another police personnel, identified as Vishal Sharma, had recorded a video of the alleged distribution of firecrackers on his mobile phone.
Circle Officer (Nichlaul) Ravindra Kumar Singh said the head constable had been under mental distress and that an inquiry was under way. "Further action will be taken after completion of the inquiry," he said.
The allegations in the note have not been independently verified. The responses of the other persons named in it were not immediately available. The BJP MLA from Siswa could not be reached for comment.
In a subsequent development, a report by Dynamite News, citing a police clarification, said Singh had been suspended. It also reported that an initial inquiry had not confirmed the allegations of harassment and that a detailed inquiry had been assigned to the Circle Officer (Sadar). (with inputs from PTI)