Congress leader Harish Rawat has expressed profound sorrow and concern following the tragic death of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, who reportedly died by suicide at his Chandigarh residence on October 7. Rawat pointed fingers at the prevailing ‘narrow-mindedness’ within the Indian bureaucracy, highlighting a worrying rise in intolerance based on religion, caste, and language.
In a statement to ANI, Rawat commented, “It’s deeply concerning to witness the pervasive narrow-mindedness in today’s bureaucracy. Those in positions of power seem to have cultivated insularity and intolerance among people.” He added that this intolerance, often rooted in religious, caste, or linguistic differences, is having detrimental effects across India, and cited the death of the capable IPS officer as a victim of this environment. His wife has reportedly filed an FIR concerning the incident.
In response to the serious allegations surrounding the death of the senior IPS officer, the Chandigarh Police have established a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT). This SIT, operating under the supervision of IGP UT Chandigarh Pushpendra Kumar, is tasked with conducting a thorough and impartial investigation. The probe will cover the case registered under specific sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The SIT includes IGP Pushpendra Kumar as its head, along with SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, SPICity KM Priyanka, DSP Traffic Charanyit Singh Vik, SOPO South Qujt Kaur, and SHO PS-11 (West) Jarveer Singh Rana. The team is authorized to bring in additional experts to facilitate a swift and comprehensive examination of evidence and witnesses.
The Haryana IAS Officers’ Association has also conveyed its deep grief over the untimely demise of IPS Y. Puran Kumar, paying homage to his dedicated public service and integrity.