In a significant development, police have escalated the charges in the case surrounding the tragic death of Haryana IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar. This decision comes after his wife vehemently called for the inclusion of more stringent provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Amneet P. Kumar, a senior IAS officer and the deceased IPS officer’s wife, had previously urged law enforcement to revise what she described as ‘diluted sections’ of the SC/ST Act in the initial First Information Report. She specifically highlighted Section 3 (2) (v) of the Act as being the most appropriate for the circumstances of the case.
On Sunday, October 12, 2025, Chandigarh Inspector General Pushpendra Kumar, who leads the six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) assigned to the case, confirmed that Section 3 (2) (v) of the SC/ST Act has indeed been incorporated into the FIR.
Meanwhile, the family of Y. Puran Kumar continues to withhold consent for the autopsy, emphasizing that their cooperation is contingent upon all their demands being addressed.
In a related development, the Haryana government on Saturday, October 12, 2025, transferred Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya. Bijarniya was one of the police officials against whom the deceased IPS officer’s wife had demanded action, alleging his involvement in abetting her husband’s death.
An official order issued on Saturday, October 11, 2025, announced IPS officer Surinder Singh Bhoria as the new Rohtak SP, who promptly took charge. Details regarding Bijarniya’s new posting are expected to be released separately.
In her letter to SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, Ms. Amneet explicitly called for the naming of specific individuals as accused in the FIR, including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and the then-Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya.
The initial FIR filed by Chandigarh Police, which was reportedly based on a ‘final note’ left by the late officer, had included charges under Section 108 read with 3(5) (abetment of suicide) and Section 3 (1) (r) of the Prevention of Atrocities (POA) SC/ST Act.
Ms. Amneet’s formal complaint, submitted on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, pressed for the immediate arrest of both Kapur and Bijarniya.
The initially applied SC/ST section addresses instances where a non-SC/ST individual intentionally insults or intimidates a member of a Scheduled Caste or Tribe in public, with the explicit intent to humiliate.
However, the recently added Section 3 (2) (v) of the Act carries a much graver implication. It mandates that any offense under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) punishable by ten years or more of imprisonment, when committed against an SC/ST individual, will now be punishable by life imprisonment and a fine.
On Saturday, October 11, 2025, several Haryana officials, including ministers Krishan Lal Panwar and Krishan Kumar Bedi, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, and Principal Secretary to the CM Rajesh Khullar, met with Puran Kumar’s family. This meeting appeared to be an effort to convince them to proceed with the post-mortem examination and cremation of the late officer.
Addressing the growing controversy for the first time, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday, October 11, 2025, pledged that anyone found guilty would face consequences, regardless of their status. He also urged the Opposition to refrain from politicizing the sensitive issue, which includes serious allegations of caste-based discrimination against a senior IPS officer.
As public scrutiny intensified, numerous officials and ministers from Haryana, along with politicians from other states, also met with IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, the deceased’s wife, on Saturday, October 11, 2025.
In a move to ensure accountability, a 31-member committee, named Shaheed Y. Puran Singh Nyaya Sangharsh Morcha, was established to champion the family’s demands. This committee has since announced a ‘mahapanchayat’ (grand assembly) to be held in Chandigarh on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
According to a ‘final note’ reportedly left by Y. Puran Kumar, a 52-year-old 2001-batch IPS officer, before his alleged suicide at his residence on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, he named eight senior IPS officers. Among them were Haryana DGP Kapur and then-Rohtak SP Bijarniya, whom he accused of harassment and maligning his reputation.
The note also detailed instances of alleged harassment, specifically mentioning caste-based discrimination he experienced from other officers.
Puran Kumar was known for his advocacy on behalf of officers’ rights and seniority issues. He had recently been appointed as the Inspector General of the Police Training Centre (PTC) in Sunaria, Rohtak.
Ms. Amneet maintains that her husband’s death resulted from ‘systematic persecution’ by high-ranking officers. A will and the aforementioned final note were among the items recovered from the scene on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
In response to the gravity of the situation, Chandigarh Police formed a six-member SIT on Friday, October 10, 2025, under the leadership of IG Pushpendra Kumar, tasked with conducting a swift, impartial, and comprehensive investigation into the officer’s death.
(If you or someone you know is struggling with distress, confidential counseling and support are available through suicide helplines such as TeleMANAS-14416.)