CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has sent Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur on leave amid mounting opposition pressure over the alleged suicide of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar and his family’s demand for action against senior officers accused of harassing him.
The late-night move comes just days after the transfer of Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya, who was among those named in Kumar’s purported eight-page “final note.”
“Yes, the DGP has been sent on leave by the government,” confirmed Rajiv Jaitly, media adviser to the Haryana Chief Minister.
In his note, Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer, accused eight senior IPS officers — including Kapur and Bijarniya — of “blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation, and atrocities.”
Kumar’s wife, senior IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, has demanded that Kapur and Bijarniya be named in the FIR for allegedly abetting her husband’s suicide. The family has also refused consent for the post-mortem and cremation until their demands are met.
The 52-year-old officer allegedly shot himself on October 7. Following the registration of an FIR, Chandigarh Police formed a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.
Over the past few days, several political leaders have visited the bereaved family to express solidarity. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet them on Tuesday.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, who met the family on Monday, said Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had assured that strict action would be taken against those found guilty.
The opposition has intensified its attack on the BJP-led government, accusing it of shielding the accused officers. Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, INLD chief Abhay Singh Chautala, and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema were among those who visited the family’s residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 24.
Vikramarka termed the incident “extremely tragic” and urged the state government to immediately act on Kumar’s “dying declaration.”
“Y. Puran Kumar gave up his life after facing humiliation and harassment from two senior officers — DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and the then Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya. The government must take immediate action against them,” he said.
Meanwhile, a 31-member committee formed to seek justice for the officer’s family has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government to act against Kapur and Bijarniya.
