BAHAWALPUR, July 8: The Cantonment police on Friday booked Bashir Ahmed of Khairpur Tamewali, whohad attempted immolation on Thursday outside the DIG office. Bashir Ahmed, still in a precarious condition at the BVH, was charged with an attempted suicide under section 325 PPC while his wife Noshi alias Sajida was booked under section 114 PPC for abetment in the suicide attempt.

The accused was under the police guard in hospital while his wife was looking after him there.

It was learned that Punjab IGP Ziaullah had called for a report on Bashir’s immolation attempt from the local police.

A press release issued by the DPO claimed that the Khairpur police had arrested three people — Muhammad Imran alias Mana (rickshaw driver) his two accomplices Akhtar Ali and Abid. In her complaint, Bashir’s wife had alleged that the three arrested accused had raped her on June 28.

The police have yet to clarify whether their arrests were made under gang-rape charges or an attempted rape as had been claimed by the police in its Thursday’s press release.

The DPO said that investigation officer ASI Shamsuddin was suspended from the service and summoned to the Police Lines for the negligence of duty for he failed to take action on Noshi’s application.

It is learnt that it was Noshi’s third marriage with Bashir Ahmed. Earlier, she had contracted marriage with one Abdul Razzaq of Lodhran while her first husband had been murdered. While it was Bashir’s second love marriage with Noshi. Both have children from their previous marriages.

Meanwhile, the DPO in a press release issued here on Friday alleged that Noshi was challaned in a rape case by the City police station of Lodhran district. A woman with a past, she would implicate the people in rape cases and blackmail them, it said.