LAHORE, Dec 20: A police sub-inspector allegedly committed suicide in his duty room at the North Cantonment police station on Saturday.

The cause of the suicide is yet to be ascertained.

However, a senior officer claimed quoting investigators that Sub-Inspector Waris, 40, was upset over his father’s death and some financial problems, and had warned some of his colleagues of taking such extreme step.

North Cantonment Circle DSP Rana Muhammad Serwer told Dawn SI Muhammad Waris of Karmola Virkan village, Noshehra Virkan, who had been working in the investigation wing, shot himself with an official pistol.

He said on Saturday the SI listened to the parties to a girl’s kidnap case in his room.

“As both the parties left his room and reached the room of investigation in-charge, a gunshot was heard. The investigation in charge and his subordinates rushed to his room where they found Waris lying dead on his chair with a bullet wound in his head and pistol lying in his hands,” the DSP further claimed.

He said the cause of suicide could not be ascertained.

The DSP said Waris left his wife, four teenaged sons and a daughter behind. He was living in a rented house in R A Bazaar.

Police, meanwhile, shifted the body for autopsy.

There were reports that on Saturday the SI was snubbed and warned by the DIG (investigation) for allegedly declaring innocent an accused in a case. Later, the SI reportedly wrote a suicide note blaming the DIG for the act he was going to commit.

Capital City Police Officer Muhammad Pervez Rathore told Dawn that the incident came as a shock to him. However, he denied having knowledge of any suicide note written by the deceased.

The CCPO confirmed the DIG (investigation) had called Waris in connection with a case of dishonoured cheque involving a widow. He said the police force was overworked, underpaid and stressed and needed immediate attention.

“They do not even have proper toilets and what we should expect from them,” the CCPO said.

Meanwhile, Dawn has learnt that SSP (investigation) Zulfikar Hameed had ordered an inquiry into the incident.

DIG (investigation) Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera was not available for his comments despite repeated attempts by this reporter.

Protest: Relatives and acquaintances of the deceased staged a demonstration to protest against the conduct of the DIG, appealing to the chief minister to take action against him.