In a major development that has triggered a political storm in Haryana, an FIR has named Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and Rohtak police chief Narendra Bijarnia for abetment to suicide and under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in connection with the death of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar.
The 2001-batch IPS officer died by suicide on Tuesday at his home in Chandigarh, leaving behind a powerful eight-page note accusing senior officers of mental harassment.
Tragedy at Home: Officer Found Dead by Daughter
Police said Y Puran Kumar allegedly shot himself with his service revolver at his Sector 11 residence. His body was discovered by his daughter in the basement.
The FIR was filed after his wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, lodged a formal complaint naming senior police officials and accusing them of caste-based abuse and systematic harassment.
Wife’s Explosive Allegations of Harassment
In her complaint, Amneet P Kumar, Commissioner and Secretary in Haryana’s Department of Foreign Cooperation, described years of “systematic humiliation” of her husband.
“This is not a case of ordinary suicide but a direct result of systematic persecution of my husband — an officer from the SC community — by powerful and high-ranking officers,” she said.
She alleged that caste-based slurs and mental harassment pushed her husband to take his own life.
Amneet was in Japan as part of a state delegation led by Chief Minister Nayab Saini when the incident took place. She has also written to the Chief Minister seeking justice.
Suicide Note Alleges Caste-Based Discrimination
The late officer’s suicide note reportedly details years of caste-based discrimination, humiliation, and mental torture.
“The caste-based discrimination, mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities started by Sh Manoj Yadava, the then DGP Haryana, continues against me till date by other officers,” Kumar wrote in the note.
He cited incidents dating back to 2020, when the alleged discrimination began after his visit to a temple in Ambala.
He also mentioned that delays in sanctioning leave prevented him from being with his father in his final moments, a pain that “caused immense mental harassment.”
‘Justice Should Be Seen to Be Done’
Calling the note “a document of broken spirit,” Amneet said: “Justice should not merely be done, but seen to be done — even for families like ours, shattered by the cruelty of the powerful. My children deserve answers. My husband’s decades of public service deserve dignity, not silence.”
She has urged authorities for a fair and transparent probe.
Rahul Gandhi Calls It a Sign of ‘Deepening Social Poison’
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi reacted sharply to the incident, linking it to the larger issue of caste discrimination in India.
“The suicide of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar is a symbol of the deepening social poison that is crushing humanity in the name of caste,” Gandhi posted on X.
He added, “When an IPS officer has to endure humiliation and oppression because of his caste — imagine the circumstances in which an ordinary Dalit citizen must be living.”
Political and Legal Ramifications
The case has put intense spotlight on the state’s top police leadership and the functioning of the Haryana administration.
Legal experts say invoking the SC/ST Act against senior officials, including a DGP, is unprecedented and could have far-reaching consequences for policing and accountability in the state.
The investigation is ongoing, with demands from civil society and political parties for an independent probe.