Chandigarh: In a significant development following the alleged suicide of Haryana IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, a 31-member committee has issued a stern 48-hour ultimatum to both the Chandigarh administration and the Haryana government. The committee demands the immediate removal of State Police Chief Shatrujeet Kapur from his post, citing allegations that he abetted Kumar’s suicide. Kumar’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, has also lodged a complaint seeking Kapur’s arrest.
The committee’s decision was announced after a ‘mahapanchayat’ (a large community gathering) held at Guru Ravidas Bhavan in Sector 20. Heavy police presence was noted around the venue during the event. A spokesperson for the committee stated, “The Haryana DGP and the former Rohtak SP should be arrested in the matter. The Haryana government should remove the DGP from his post. We have given 48 hours after which we will decide the next course of action.”
Six days have passed since Y. Puran Kumar, who was last posted as IG at the Police Training Centre in Rohtak’s Sunaria, died. However, his post-mortem examination and cremation have not yet taken place, as his family has refused to give their consent until their demands are met.
The mahapanchayat also saw some disruptions when former Haryana MP Raj Kumar Saini reportedly made a controversial remark, leading to an angry reaction from attendees. The situation was brought under control following appeals for calm from the organizers.
A message was read on behalf of the deceased officer’s family, seeking public support for their quest for justice. Gurmail Singh, a committee member, highlighted that the demand for a judicial probe into the incident was also a key point raised during the gathering.
Karamvir, another committee member, expressed the family’s and the Dalit community’s concerns: “The family and the Dalit community are apprehensive that if the last rites of the deceased officer are conducted, then the government may not act against the accused.” He added, “If justice is not given to the family, then we will decide the next course of action… We want to know what the Special Investigation Team, which has been constituted by Chandigarh police, has so far done in this case.” An association of Safai Karamcharis in Chandigarh has also pledged support to the family.
Y. Puran Kumar, a 52-year-old 2001-batch IPS officer, allegedly died by suicide at his Sector 11, Chandigarh residence on October 7. In a purported eight-page suicide note, Kumar named eight senior IPS officers, including DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and former Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, accusing them of harassment and tarnishing his image. He also detailed alleged instances of caste-based discrimination by other officers.
In response to the allegations, the Haryana government had transferred Narendra Bijarniya on Saturday and appointed IPS officer Surinder Singh Bhoria in his place. Amneet P Kumar, in her complaint to Chandigarh Police, sought an FIR against Kapur and Bijarniya under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Act, demanding their immediate arrest. She further stated that the initial FIR lacked crucial details and requested its amendment to include all accused officers by name, particularly highlighting Kapur and Bijarniya as the ‘trigger point’ for her husband’s suicide.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government is making efforts to persuade Kumar’s wife to consent to the post-mortem and cremation. State ministers and senior officials met with the family on Saturday in what appeared to be an attempt to de-escalate the situation.