Sonia Gandhi Condoles Tragic Death of Haryana IPS Officer, Slams Systemic Bias in Letter to Widow
Sonia Gandhi Condemns Caste Bias in IPS Officer’s Tragic Death, Stands with Widow’s Fight for Justice
New Delhi/Chandigarh, October 11, 2025 – In a heartfelt gesture amid growing outrage over the alleged suicide of senior Haryana IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has penned a deeply empathetic letter to his widow, Amneet P. Kumar, condemning the “prejudiced and biased” attitudes within the bureaucracy that she says drove the officer to his untimely end.
Gandhi’s letter, dated October 10, 2025, describes the 52-year-old officer’s death as “both shocking and deeply saddening,” extending “heartfelt condolences” to Amneet – a senior IAS officer serving as Commissioner and Secretary in the Haryana government – and their family. “In this hour of immense pain, I pray that the Almighty gives you strength, courage, and comfort,” Gandhi wrote, emphasizing that Kumar’s passing serves as a stark reminder that “even the highest officers in service are not immune to the prejudiced and biased attitude of those in power – an attitude that continues to deny many the ideals of social justice.”
The Congress leader, a prominent figure in India’s opposition politics, positioned herself and “millions across the nation” in solidarity with the grieving family, vowing support on their “path to justice.” She highlighted the incident as evidence of a broader failure to uphold social justice, particularly for marginalized communities, noting that “crores of Indians stand with you in your fight for justice.”
The Tragic Incident and Allegations of Harassment
Y. Puran Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer and recipient of the President’s Medal for Meritorious Service, was found dead from a gunshot wound in the soundproof basement of his official residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 11 on October 7, 2025. His 21-year-old daughter discovered the body around 1:30 p.m., police said. Kumar, who was serving as Inspector General at the Police Training Centre in Rohtak’s Sunaria, reportedly used his service revolver, which he had taken from a gunman the previous day.
In an eight-page suicide note recovered at the scene, Kumar detailed years of “systematic humiliation, mental harassment, and caste-based discrimination” allegedly inflicted by senior officers. He explicitly named eight to 16 IPS and IAS officials, including Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and Rohtak Superintendent of Police (SP) Narendra Bijarniya, holding them responsible for his decision. The note cited a “hostile work environment” marked by preconceived notions and discriminatory practices, with Kumar – a member of the Scheduled Caste (SC) community – claiming it stemmed from his social background.
The family has demanded the removal and arrest of Kapur and Bijarnia.
