New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to visit Chandigarh on Tuesday to meet the family of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, who allegedly died by suicide on October 7.
The Congress party confirmed Gandhi’s visit on Monday, stating that he will arrive in the city around 5:30 p.m. to offer condolences and express solidarity with the grieving family.
Puran Kumar, a 2010-batch IPS officer posted in Haryana, was found dead at his official residence in Sector 11, Chandigarh. According to initial reports, he died by suicide using his service revolver. The incident took a serious turn when a suicide note allegedly written by Kumar named 14 officials, accusing them of mental harassment and caste-based discrimination.
On October 9, two days after the incident, Chandigarh Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) around 10:40 PM against all 14 individuals mentioned in the note. The accused include Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujit Kapoor and Rohtak Superintendent of Police (SP) Narendra Bijarnia. Charges have been filed under Section 108 of the Indian Penal Code (abetment to suicide) and Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(5) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Despite the FIR, the officer’s family has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the investigation. They continue to withhold consent for the postmortem examination, citing a lack of trust in both the Chandigarh Police and the Haryana Government. As a result, the officer’s body has remained in the mortuary since October 7.
Amneet P. Kumar, the officer’s wife and a senior IAS officer, met with a few senior political leaders on Monday. However, she declined to meet several state government representatives, reportedly refusing attempts at what she perceived as political pacification.
The Congress party has criticised the BJP-led Haryana Government, calling the incident a failure of the state’s administrative and law enforcement systems.
(IANS)
