After days of 'row', Haryana IPS officer Kumar's body shifted to PGI for autopsy

Chandigarh, Oct 11 (IANS) After days of "controversy" surrounding the "caste-based harassment", the body of Haryana's Inspector General of Police Y. Puran Kumar, who allegedly shot himself dead at his Chandigarh residence on October 7 with his service revolver and left behind a "final note", was shifted to the PGI here for autopsy on Saturday.

The victim's body was shifted in the morning from the Government Multi Specialty Hospital in Sector 16 to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).

Chandigarh Director General of Police (DGP) Sagar Preet Hooda told the media that the post-mortem examination would be conducted at the PGI.

A board comprising doctors, a forensic expert, and a magistrate would be present during the postmortem examination. Videography will be carried out.

"The postmortem examination will only be performed with the consent of the family," he clarified.

Still suspense continues over the cremation.

The victim's spouse, Amneet P. Kumar, a Haryana cadre senior bureaucrat, in a letter to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has sought justice for her husband.

The letter, marked urgent and confidential, two days ago expressed anguish over what she described as a "grave injustice" and "complete administrative inaction" even after more than 48 hours of her husband's death.

A day earlier, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi and Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Mishra met the aggrieved family and tried to convince it to give consent for the post-mortem examination and perform the last rites.

Saying the suicide by Puran Kumar was owing to caste-based exploitation and harassment, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national President Mayawati posted on X, "This is extremely tragic and serious incident is particularly shameful for a civilised government and proves how deeply entrenched casteism remains, especially in governance and administration, despite numerous claims to the contrary, and how governments are failing to curb it. In fact, this is more a matter of the government's intent and policy."

She sought a time-bound independent and impartial investigation into the incident and demanded the guilty must face strict punishment.

In a nine-page "suicide note", Puran Kumar reportedly accused nine serving IPS officers of the Haryana Police, a retired IPS officer and three retired IAS officers of "caste-based discrimination".

The serving officers included DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya.

After the first information report (FIR) was registered in connection with Puran Kumar's death, his family and friends said charges under Sections related to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and abetment to suicide are yet to be added despite the recovery of the signed "final note".

They also alleged that the officials accused by Puran Kumar in his "note" were not named in the FIR.

His wife Amneet Kumar alleged that the death was the result of "systematic persecution".

Puran Kumar's wife also wrote to Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur, questioning "incomplete information" in the FIR and demanded it be corrected "to accurately reflect the names of all accused".

She said "diluted sections of the SC/ST Act" have been added in the FIR and it needed to be amended.

The crime occurred in Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, and the Chandigarh Police are investigating the case.

Haryana officials representing of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, led by D. Suresh, Resident Commissioner posted in Delhi, met senior officials of the Chandigarh Police, seeking a fair and time-bound investigation into the case.

Chandigarh Director General of Police (DGP) Sagar Preet Hooda on Friday constituted a six-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the suicide.

According to DGP Hooda's orders, the SIT has been formed to investigate FIR registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The SIT will be headed by IGP Pushpendra Kumar, with SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, SP (City) K.M. Priyanka, DSP Charanjit Singh Virk, SDPO (South) Gurjit Kaur, and Inspector Jaiveer Singh Rana as members.

The SIT will collect evidence, examine witnesses, seek expert opinions, and prepare a final report in a time-bound manner.

Though the DGP did not mention the deadline for the SIT to submit its report, he emphasised that "the investigation must be prompt, impartial, and comprehensive, given the seriousness of the matter".

--IANS

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