A history sheeter, who feared preventive detention by the police in the light of the ensuing Assembly polls, tried to end his life on Wednesday by consuming sleeping pills.

Mousaf Devaraj, 31, a resident of Kaveri Nagar slum, is a small-time goon in the area.

He had assaulted a traffic police last year after an altercation. He had recently come out on bail in the case. The police had been rounding up rowdy elements ahead of the Assembly polls and Devaraj was evading the arrest. On Wednesday afternoon, he turned up at St Philomena Hospital in an autorickshaw all by himself. He got himself admitted to the hospital, saying he had consumed sleeping pills. He was treated at the hospital and his condition is said to be stable now.

Devaraj called up reporters from electronic media and alleged that the Mahadevapura police were framing false charges and were planning to arrest him. He claimed he attempted suicide, dejected by the harassment by the police.

The Mahadevapura police have denied the charges. Devaraj has four cases pending against him at the Mahadevapura police station. Police also registered a case of attempt to suicide against Devaraj and arrested him.