''It was accident'', Maninder tells police

New Delhi, June 11 (UNI) Former test cricketer Maninder Singh today told the police that the June 9 incident in which he sustained cuts on his wrists was an ''accident''.

Denying that it was an attempt to commit suicide, Singh told the officer, who went today to record his statement at the Shanti Mukund Hospital in Preet Vihar area of East Delhi, that he sustained injuries as he banged his arms on the window pane to awaken his family, said DCP (East) Ajay Chaudhary.

''As I had come late and no one was responding to my calls I tried to awaken them by banging on the glass window during which I sustained injuries on my wrists,'' Maninder told the Investigation Officer.

On the police's next step, in the wake of the fact that despite him being a 'left-hander' his right wrist had deeper injuries, Mr Chaudhary said it would depend on the hospital report which would describe the nature of injuries caused to Maninder.

Maninder Singh was admitted to a private hospital on June 9 after he had slashed his wrists in an alleged suicide attempt. The former ace spinner is reportedly passing through a rough patch due to domestic problems.

He was operated upon at the hospital and kept under 48-hrs observation due to critical injuries, because of which police could not ascertain the cause of his condition, despite family members claiming it to be ''an accident'' and others insisting it to be a suicide attempt.

His wife Milly Singh had told mediapersons soon after the incident that it was an accident. ''We were sleeping when he was knocking at the door last night. We didn't hear it, so he came to the balcony which has glass, bay windows. And without realising in trying to wake us up, he banged hard at the widows, losing his footing and falling down. That's how he cut both his hands.'' On the other hand, doctors attending on the former cricketer at the Shanti Mukund Hospital had said the cricketer was brought to the hospital with deep wounds on both his wrists which were bleeding profusely.

''We immediately admitted him to ICU. His BP was almost untraceable. On examinations we found that his wounds were very deep. Particularly on his right wrist...all his veins and arteries were damaged,'' they said.

Maninder, who is presently out on bail, was arrested on May 22 for allegedly possessing 1.5 gms of cocaine along with associate and friend Saim Siddique by the Narcotics Branch of Delhi Police.

UNI