Twist to Haryana IPS Officer Suicide, “Corruption and Not Caste-Bias:” Says Another Deceased Cop

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Oct 14: Even as the Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi demanded quick action against the top Haryana police officers named by the deceased Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, suicide by another police officer has given a major twist to the caste biased allegations said to be the cause of suicide by Y Puran Kumar.

A week after Y Puran Kumar committed suicide at his residence in Chandigarh alleging harassment by senior officers because he was a dalit, a similar death of another cop, an assistant sub-inspector, in Rohtak has left behind major questions about alleged corruption linking the two cases.

The ASI, 41-year-old Sandeep Kumar Lathar of Jind’s Julana village, was found dead after alleged suicide using his service revolver in a room at Ladhot village near his posting station of Rohtak, on Tuesday. He allegedly committed suicide after levelling serious allegations against the deceased IPS officer.

Sandeep Kumar, posted as an Assistant Sub-Inspector in Rohtak’s cyber cell, was investigating a corruption case against Y Puran Kumar. He said in a suicide note that he is sacrificing his life for “truth.” Sandeep Kumar left behind a video and a three-page suicide note.

Sandeep Kumar has alleged that Y Puran Kumar was a “corrupt cop” and died by suicide when he feared that his alleged corruption would be exposed. He also alleged that the IPS officer hijacked the system using the caste discrimination issue.

The cop has said in his suicide note that Y Puran Kumar was transferred after allegations of corruption came to light. Sandeep Kumar, it is learnt, caught Y Puran Kumar’s gunman taking a Rs 2.5 lakh bribe from a liquor contractor. The contractor had met Y Puran Kumar after a gangster threatened him. When allegations of bribery came to light, the IPS officer tried to give it a caste colour and died by suicide.

When asked about Sandeep Kumar’s “final note” and video purportedly left behind by the ASI blaming IPS officer Y Puran Kumar for his move, Rohtak SP Surendra Singh Bhoria said, “A forensic investigations is underway after which we will share more details.”

The 6.26-minute video, which has been shared on WhatsApp and other platforms, purportedly shows ASI Sandeep Lathar saying Y Puran Kumar, who was posted as Inspector General of Rohtak range until just days before his death, “took bribes to exclude names of accused from cases as serious as murder.”

Puran Kumar in his “final note” and his wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, in her complaint thereafter, had alleged that he was being harassed by senior officers including the state police chief, DGP Shatrujeet Kapur, due to his being Dalit or a “lower” caste.

The video by Lathar, who is from the Jat community, said he could no longer bear to see this, and was sacrificing his life “for honesty,” referencing freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Saying that there was no caste angle expressly in Puran Kumar’s death, Lathar pointedly referred to a corruption-cum-extortion case registered in Rohtak recently, in which a junior cop had named Puran Kumar as the beneficiary of the money he was collecting from a local businessman.

Lathar was part of the team that caught head constable Sushil Kumar after a complaint filed by liquor contractor Praveen Bansal. Lathar’s “final note” and the video, authenticity of which was still being probed by the police, said Puran Kumar and “some IAS officers” wanted to sideline the DGP and others to “continue with their corrupt ways.”

Sandeep Kumar in the video message said after YS Puran Kumar was posted in the Rohtak range, he started replacing honest police officers with corrupt officers. “These people blocked files, called petitioners and mentally tortured them by asking for money. Women police personnel were sexually exploited in exchange for transfers,” he alleged.

“Roots of his corruption run very deep. He has committed suicide fearing the complaint against him,” Sandeep Kumar alleged. “Their assets must be probed. This is not a caste issue. Truth must come out. He was corrupt,” he alleged.

“I am sacrificing my life for this truth. I am proud that I stand with honesty. This is important to awaken the country,” he said, adding that his family members fought for the country’s Independence. Sandeep Kumar also praised Rohtak police chief Narendra Bijarnia, one of the 10 officers Y Puran Kumar named in his suicide note. Bijarnia has since been transferred.

Puran Kumar’s death has sparked a major political controversy. Rahul Gandhi who met his family in Chandigarh earlier on Tuesday, said the incident had sent a “wrong message to Dalits that no matter how successful you are, if you are Dalit, you can be crushed.” He also said the case was not just about the respect of the IPS officer’s family, but of all Dalits.

“There should an immediate action against the officers (accused). They should be arrested. The family’s message is clear, they were disrespected, attempts were made to finish the career of the deceased officer. Now, after his death respect is not being given, it’s not acceptable. And, yes, this is correct, it’s not about respect of one family, it’s about the respect of every Dalit brother and sister,” he said.

“My message as LOP to the Prime Minister of India and to Chief Minister of Haryana is that please take action against the officers and keep away the pressure on the family,” he added.

The state’s BJP government led by CM Nayab Singh Saini has sent the DGP on leave for now, while the case is being investigated by the Chandigarh UT police. The FIR sections include those from the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Mr Saini has promised strict action in the IPS officer’s suicide case, asserting that no one would be spared for being in a position of authority.

Leaders ranging from major Dalit faces such as union minister Ramdas Athawale and UP MP Chandrashekhar Azad, to Congress’s Kumari Selja and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann have met Puran Kumar’s family. His body remains in the mortuary as the family has refused post-mortem or cremation until strict action was taken against the officers named in Puran Kumar’s suicide note.

Amid the demand for action against key accused, the Haryana government has sent Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur on leave. According to a Haryana government order dated October 14, the additional charge of DGP has been assigned to Om Parkash Singh, IPS, currently Managing Director, Haryana Police Housing Corporation, during the leave period of Mr Shatrujeet Singh Kapur.

Even 8 days after Puran Kumar committed suicide, autopsy of his body remained pending. The deceased officer’s family has refused to allow the post-mortem to proceed until two key accused in the case, DGP Kapur and former Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarnia are arrested. The State government has already transferred Mr Bijarnia.

The officials of Haryana government, meanwhile were seen visiting Puran Kumar’s wife, senior IAS officer Amneet. P. Kumar, in Chandigarh, at her official residence, in an apparent attempt to persuade her to agree for conducting the autopsy.

Chandigarh Police on Monday had  said Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is conducting the investigations in case had sent a request letter to Ms Kumar, urging her “to come forward for identification of the body for the conduct of the PME (post mortem) at the earliest, which is essential for a speedy investigation.”

The Chandigarh Police has also asked the Haryana government to provide documents required for the investigation of the case. In a note, Puran Kumar had named senior IPS officers, including Mr Kapur and Mr Bijarnia, for allegedly harassing and maligning him.

Kumar (52), a 2001-batch IPS officer, was found dead with a gunshot wound at his residence in Chandigarh on October 7. He was serving as Inspector General of Police at the Police Training Centre (PTC), Sunaria, in Haryana’s Rohtak.

A 31-member committee, Justice for Y. Puran Kumar, was formed to press for acceptance of the family’s demands. Gurmail Dhabi, who is also a member of the committee, said “When the FIR has been registered then why the police reluctant to arrest the accused. The FIR in itself will serve no purpose if the accused are not arrested.”

The Chandigarh Police on Sunday had added charges to the first information report (FIR) filed in connection with Puran Kumar’s suicide following a request made by the officer’s wife.

On October 10, 2025, deceased’s wife and IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar had written to the Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police, pointing out “irregularities” in the FIR registered over the case and demanded changes. They said “the Section mentioned under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the FIR was diluted” and that Section 3(2)(v) must be added.

On Sunday Chandigarh Inspector-General of Police Pushpendra Kumar confirmed Section 3 (2)(v) of the Act has been invoked. The police, earlier, had registered the FIR under Section 108 read with 3(5) (abetment of suicide) and 3 (1)(r) of the Act. Section 3 (2)(v) of the Act states any offence under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), punishable with imprisonment for a term of 10 years or more, against an SC/ST person shall be punishable with imprisonment for life and with fine.