Punjab man attempts suicide at police station, alleges bribe demand to file report

A young man attempted suicide by consuming a poisonous substance at a police station in Punjab's Barnala district after claiming he had been running from pillar to post for nearly 17 days to obtain a police report related to a car fire. The man, identified as Jobanpreet Singh, was taken to a private hospital in Barnala, where he is undergoing treatment. Doctors have described his condition as stable.

A video of Jobanpreet Singh making allegations against police personnel has gone viral on social media. In the video, he alleged that his Swift car caught fire due to a short circuit and that he had been visiting the Dhanola police station for around 17 days to obtain a report about the incident.

He alleged that he was being asked to pay Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for preparing the report.

In the video, Singh also levelled allegations against the police station's munshi, SHO and a patwari. He claimed that his land in Walia village of Sangrur district had also been affected in connection with a matter involving a patwari.

Singh said he had visited the police station along with six panchayat members and the village sarpanch. He claimed that a daily diary report (DDR) was subsequently issued through the SHO.

POLICE SAY REPORT WAS REGISTERED

Barnala DSP said police received information that a youth had consumed some medicine at Dhanola police station. A police team reached the station and found Singh in an unwell condition.

According to the police, Singh had been under stress for some time and was also involved in a land dispute concerning his property in Sangrur district. His Swift car caught fire on September 11, following which he visited the Dhanola police station on Wednesday night to get a report registered.

The DSP said Singh met the SHO and other police personnel, following which his report was registered at around 10.20 pm. He was asked to collect a copy of the report the next morning.

When Singh returned to the station in the morning, the SHO allegedly asked him to wait for around 10 minutes as a meeting was underway. During this time, Singh allegedly consumed some medicine and his condition deteriorated. He was subsequently taken to a hospital in Barnala.

POLICE PROBE ALLEGATIONS

The DSP said Singh had made allegations against police personnel, including the station's munshi and SHO Manjit Singh. Police are examining the allegations and investigating the role of the personnel named by him.

The officer said police are also taking regular updates on Singh's health. If the allegations are found to be true, appropriate legal action will be taken against the concerned personnel, he said.

AKALI DAL DEMANDS HIGH-LEVEL PROBE

Shiromani Akali Dal's Barnala district urban unit president Yadvinder Singh Bittu Diwana demanded a high-level investigation into the allegations against the police.

He said the allegations should be investigated and action taken if any wrongdoing against Singh is established. Diwana also claimed that Singh had been associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal as a youth leader and said the party stood with his family.

Congress youth leader Arun Pratap Dhillon, who visited Singh at the hospital, also condemned the incident and criticised the Punjab government. He alleged that common people were being subjected to harassment and said the Congress would support Singh's family if further wrongdoing emerged.