New Delhi: In an extreme step, a constable posted at Mardan Naka police outpost in Banda, Uttar Pradesh allegedly consumed poison over denial of leave to visit his ailing mother, police said on Tuesday.

“28-year –old Arun Kumar Verma consumed some poisonous substance on Sunday night as he was depressed over not being allowed to go home”, Sub Inspector Ajay Kumar Singh, in-charge of the police outpost, said.

He was rushed to a government hospital immediately after he consumed poison, from where he left for his home town Mauranipur in Jhansi on 20 day-leave, Singh said.

The sub-inspector said the constable had applied for leave, but his request was rejected due to the four-day Dussehra festival.

Verma had asked for leave to visit his ailing mother and was in acute depression since he was not allowed to go, his colleagues said on condition of anonymity.

Rahul Srivastava of the district hospital who attended on the constable said he had consumed liquid mosquito repellent and was discharged Sunday from where he left for his home.