Punjab SC Commission Directs Immediate Arrests in IPS Officer’s Tragic Suicide Probe
Commission demands swift action in probe of officer’s death, spotlighting systemic bias in Haryana Police ranks.
Chandigarh, October 13, 2025 – In a forceful push for accountability, the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes has mandated the Chandigarh Police to swiftly apprehend 14 officials implicated in the harrowing suicide note of Haryana-cadre IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, spotlighting deep-seated allegations of caste-driven harassment within the force.
The directive, issued today by Commission Chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi, comes amid mounting pressure on authorities to address the October 7 death of Kumar, a 52-year-old 2001-batch officer from the Scheduled Caste community, whose self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Sector 11 residence has ignited a firestorm over systemic bias in Haryana Police ranks.
Kumar, serving as Inspector General at the Police Training Centre in Rohtak’s Sunaria until a recent transfer, left behind an eight-to-nine-page “final note” and a will that laid bare years of purported torment. The document accuses senior colleagues of deliberate discrimination, including denying leave to attend his father’s funeral, assigning him to phantom postings, and orchestrating media leaks to tarnish his reputation—all allegedly rooted in his caste identity since 2020.
Prominently fingered in the note are Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and former Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarnia, whom Kumar blamed for inciting malicious inaction on his reports and fueling a campaign of public shaming. The list extends to eight other active IPS officers, one retired IPS figure, and three ex-IAS officials, with the wife citing at least 14 in total across her filings.
Amneet P. Kumar, the officer’s widow and a Haryana-cadre IAS officer, cut short an official trip to Japan upon learning of the tragedy. Her daughter discovered the body that afternoon, prompting Amneet to lodge a formal complaint the next day, invoking Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for abetment to suicide alongside key clauses of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Chandigarh Police responded by registering an FIR on October 9, initially under abetment provisions and milder SC/ST sections. Following Amneet’s insistence on amendments for fuller disclosure—including explicit naming of all accused and the invocation of the stringent Section 3(2)(v) for atrocities against public servants—the charges were bolstered by October 12. A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Inspector General Pushpendra Kumar, was promptly formed to ensure a “time-bound, impartial” inquiry, with forensic teams scouring the soundproof basement scene and analyzing CCTV footage.
Yet, progress has drawn sharp scrutiny. During today’s Commission hearing, Garhi lambasted the police for submitting an incomplete status update—lacking the FIR copy and details on the SIT’s mandate—raising doubts over whether arrests are imminent. “The Lalita Kumari guidelines demand immediate FIR registration and action; delays only compound the injustice,” Garhi emphasized, underscoring the Commission’s suo motu intervention triggered by media coverage.
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes echoed this urgency last week, issuing notices to Chandigarh’s Chief Secretary and DGP for a seven-day action report. Meanwhile, Haryana swiftly transferred Bijarnia to a new role, installing Surinder Singh Bhoria as Rohtak SP, a move seen by some as preemptive amid the uproar.
In his note, Kumar singled out one ally: retired IAS officer Rajesh Khullar, Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, whom he credited for patiently reviewing his grievances and halting a punitive proceeding. “Only he heard me out,” Kumar wrote, a poignant contrast to the “unbearable” betrayals he detailed.
The bereaved family has withheld autopsy consent pending full compliance with their demands, including transparent probes and protections under the Atrocities Act. A 31-member advocacy group, the Shaheed Y Puran Singh Nyaya Sangharsh Morcha, rallied yesterday for a “mahapanchayat” in Chandigarh, vowing to amplify calls for justice.
Garhi announced plans to meet the family personally today, reaffirming the Commission’s vigil to shield Scheduled Caste voices in uniform. As the SIT delves deeper—potentially unearthing a web of administrative vendettas—Kumar’s death serves as a stark reminder of the toll exacted by unchecked prejudice in India’s corridors of power. Authorities now face a ticking clock to translate directives into detentions, lest the clamor for reform swell further.
