Detained former Punjab Cong MLA attempts suicide

Amritsar, Jun 14 (UNI) Former Congress MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa today attempted suicide in police custody at the Beas police station, where he is under detention in a murder case.

On the statement of Assistant Sub Inspector Joga Singh, the police has registered a case under section 309 (attempt to suicide) of the IPC against Dimpa, IGP (border range) R P Meena here stated.

According to Mr Meena, the Congress leader was immediately taken to hospital and after medical aid he was brought back to the police station. His police remand in the murder case expires tomorrow.

Mr Meena said Dimpa banged his head against the wall inside the 'hawalat' (police station jail) and he began to bleed. The policemen on duty immediately rushed him to hospital for medical aid, he added.

The IGP said this action of the former MLA was being investigated. He claimed that the police had questioned him in the murder case as per the law.

Dimpa, a former Punjab Youth Congress president, who was MLA from Beas constituency from 2002 to February 2007 had surrendered yesterday before the police. A murder case was registered against him and 11 others, following the death of a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) worker on January 29 in Beas assembly segment after a clash between SAD and Congress activists during the assembly election campaign.

Dimpa was declared a proclaimed offender in this case on June 8 by a Baba Bakala court. Besides Dimpa, the others named in the case include his brothers Rajan and Harmandeep Singh, a SP ranking officer with the state police.

The case was registered on the instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) which had pulled up the Punjab Police for failing to book Dimpa, who was then the sitting MLA from Beas and a candidate of the Congress.

The ECI had postponed the polls in Beas constituency to March 13 after receiving a report on the law and order situation in the constituency from the central observor. Dimpa lost the election to SAD candidate Manjinder Singh Kang.

UNI