Two Haryana Police officials have died a week apart, both allegedly by suicide, one accusing fellow policemen of casteism and the other accusing him of corruption instead and giving a clean chit to those he accused.
While both men are now dead and investigators try to unearth the truth behind the convoluted case, what the incident has laid bare is the quagmire of caste politics, corruption, and alleged gangster links that the Haryana Police seems to be stuck in, raising serious questions on its credibility.
Here is what has happened in the case so far.
Also Read: Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar found dead in Chandigarh, suicide suspected
It all started with the death of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar. Puran, who was found dead at his residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 11 on October 7, having allegedly shot himself, left an eight-page “final note” detailing the humiliation he allegedly faced because of his caste background, prompting his wife, senior IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, to file a complaint against top officials, including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur.
The note also allegedly mentioned a “mala fide generation of mischievous anonymous and pseudo-anonymous” complaints against him, floated and processed by some officers for months together to publicly humiliate and embarrass him and damage his reputation, say reports.
Amneet urged the registration of an FIR against DGP Kapur and another senior IPS officer. Amid mounting pressure, the BJP government in Haryana sent DGP Kapur on leave and replaced Rohtak SP Narendra Bijraniya.
They were among eight senior IPS officers allegedly named by Puran Kumar in his note.
Also Read: Haryana IPS officer’s death: Wife alleges caste-based harassment, seeks FIR against DGP
Even as a major controversy erupted over alleged caste discrimination, the case took a dramatic turn on October 14, when Sandeep Kumar Lathar, an ASI allegedly investigating corruption allegations against Puran Kumar, allegedly shot himself dead. His body was found near a farm along the Rohtak-Panipat road.
Before his death, he recorded a video and left behind a three-page note in which he called Puran Kumar a “corrupt officer” and accused him of bribery, extortion, and sexual harassment of women officers.
“The Haryana DGP is an honest person. These people / associations that are demanding action against DGP so that they can have freedom to be corrupt. Why are you destroying the country? The poison of casteism is spreading. We should not succumb to corrupt people. Through politics, great truths are being concealed,” Lathar reportedly said in the video.
Lathar alleged that Puran Kumar killed himself after realising that the investigation would expose him. Lathar reportedly also accused Amneet of corruption in the video. “I am sacrificing my life to demand an impartial probe. This corrupt family should not be spared,” the note read.
Also Read: Haryana ASI probing IPS officer Y Puran Kumar’s corruption dies by suicide 7
Lathar reportedly also mentioned how Puran Kumar manipulated the system through “caste politics”, and removed certain officers to install his “own hand-picked, corrupt team”.
Lathar further alleged that Puran Kumar struck a Rs 50-crore deal with gangster Rao Inderjit to clear his name from a murder case. Inderjit, who operates a music company and faces multiple criminal charges in Haryana, is currently hiding in the United States.
Inderjit is linked to the Himanshu Bhau gang and his name has surfaced in several high-profile cases, including the murder of Rohtak financier Manjeet, a firing incident at YouTuber Elvish Yadav’s residence, and an attack on Haryanvi rapper Rahul Yadav (Fazilpuria).
Also Read: Matter of every Dalit’s dignity, says Rahul after meeting Haryana IPS officer’s family
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has sought Puran Kumar’s official laptop for forensic analysis to verify the authenticity of the suicide note.
Amneet, however, sent a three-page letter to the SIT, stating that she had already granted police access to the laptop on October 10, and claimed that despite hours of effort, the police IT team failed to generate a digital fingerprint of the data.
She further alleged that the case was being misrepresented despite her full cooperation.
Initially, Amneet lodged a police complaint demanding that the accused named in her husband’s suicide note be arrested before his post-mortem could be conducted.
However, on Wednesday (October 15), news agency PTI reported quoting a police official that his family had given consent to a post-mortem. The development came a day after Chandigarh Police moved court to seek direction to his family to identify the body for post-mortem.
Also Read: Haryana IPS officer death: Family gives consent for autopsy, say police
The case predictably took a political turn too, with the Opposition alleging that Puran Kumar, a Dalit, was forced to take the extreme step due to systematic caste discrimination.
Addressing reporters after meeting his family, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said there was systematic discrimination against Kumar to demoralise him and damage his career.
“A wrong message is being sent out to Dalits… that no matter how successful you are, if you are Dalit, you can be oppressed and crushed,” Rahul said. He said the Haryana chief minister has not fulfilled his commitment of a free and fair inquiry.
(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)
