Punjab cadre IAS officer attempts suicide

Chandigarh: A senior Indian Administration Services (IAS) officer attempted suicide in Chandigarh on Monday night by trying to hang himself from a ceiling fan at his house, police said.

A S Chatwal, 50, an officer of secretary rank, "was immediately rushed to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), where his condition is stated to be serious by the doctors," Deputy Superintendent of Police (South) Jaswant Singh Khera said.

The reasons behind the extreme step were not immediately known, added Khera.

Chatwal, who belongs to the Punjab cadre, lives in the officers' complex in Sector 39, a high security zone of the city and has attained various important posts during his services.