A mahapanchayat held at Shri Guru Ravidas Bhawan in Sector 20 issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Haryana Government and Chandigarh Police, demanding the immediate arrest and suspension of all officers named in the suicide note of Dalit IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, including DGP Shatrujeet Kapur.
Organized by the Shaheed Y. Puran Kumar (IPS) Nyay Sangharsh Morcha, the assembly stated that no post-mortem or last rites would take place until the accused officers were suspended and arrested, calling for a thorough judicial inquiry into the death of the officer, who was found dead from a gunshot wound at his residence on October 7.
The gathering attracted over 300 participants, and an appeal was read from Puran Kumar’s family, urging continued public backing in their quest for justice. A 31-member committee, chosen by the deceased officer’s family, was established to spearhead the campaign. The committee warned that the community would “take to the streets” if the government did not respond within the specified 48-hour deadline.
The “final note” retrieved from Kumar’s pocket named eight senior IPS officers, including Kapur and Bijarniya, accusing them of harassment and humiliation, which his wife claimed triggered his death. Puran Kumar, 52, a 2001-batch IPS officer, was serving as Inspector-General of Police (IGP) at the Police Training Centre in Sunaria, Rohtak at the time of his demise.
On October 10, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar and Puran Kumar’s wife contacted the Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police, highlighting concerns regarding irregularities in the FIR related to the case. They requested the inclusion of Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, asserting that this section, involving offenses under the Indian Penal Code punishable with ten years or more imprisonment for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes members, should apply. Earlier, the FIR was filed under Section 108 along with 3(5) (abetment of suicide) and 3(1)(r) of the Act.
On October 12, Chandigarh Inspector-General of Police Pushpendra Kumar confirmed the application of Section 3(2)(v). The police indicated that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been operational in Rohtak since October 11 to investigate the case. They also mentioned that documents had been requested from the Haryana Government and urged the complainant to identify the body to facilitate the post-mortem, described as crucial for the investigation’s progress. A separate SIT had also been constituted by the Haryana Police to examine the alleged suicide.
The incident has provoked significant political backlash. The Punjab Congress has called for the immediate removal and arrest of Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur, one of the officers named in Puran Kumar’s suicide note. During a press conference at the state party headquarters, Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi demanded swift action against those responsible for Puran Kumar’s suicide, likening it to the ruling BJP’s systemic targeting of Dalits, backward communities, farmers, and minorities.
Channi asserted, “If a Dalit IPS officer cannot get justice, what should be the plight of ordinary Dalits?” He emphasized that cases like this reflect broader trends of organized victimization of Dalits under BJP governance, pointing to recent incidents as evidence.
In response to the crisis, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Raja Warring announced candlelight marches across district headquarters in Punjab to honor Puran Kumar and demand justice for his family.
Separately, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) expressed shock over the officer’s death, advocating for an overhaul of service conditions to protect Scheduled Caste employees from discrimination. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal voiced his concerns on social media, stressing the need for comprehensive reforms to prevent such instances of humiliation and discrimination based on caste.
The unfolding situation underscores the complexities surrounding caste-based discrimination in India, particularly within law enforcement, as affected communities rally for justice and accountability.
Tags: Dalit IPS officer, Mahapanchayat, arrest demands, police accountability, DGP suspension
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