CHANDIGARH: The suicide of Haryana Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Y. Puran Kumar has triggered a deepening crisis, with his family refusing to allow a postmortem and supporters issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to the state government- just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to mark the first anniversary of the Nayab Saini-led BJP government on October 17.
Five days after the senior IPS officer was found dead from a gunshot wound in the basement of his official residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 11 (on October 7), his family has refused to allow a postmortem. Backed by a powerful mahapanchayat, they have issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding the removal and arrest of Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and a high court-monitored probe. If their demands are not met by Monday evening, they have threatened statewide protests.
On October 7, Kumar, the 2001-batch IPS officer, was found dead with a gunshot wound in the basement of his Chandigarh residence in Sector 11.
An eight-page suicide note and will recover by police detailed accusations against several to top level officials, including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, alleging years of mental torture, public humiliation, and caste discrimination.
Kumar, a Scheduled Caste officer previously serving as Inspector General of Rohtak Range, was transferred to the Police Training Centre in Sunaria on September 29, a move he described as punitive in his note.
The officer’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, returned from an official trip to Japan and filed a complaint on October 9, demanding an FIR against Kapur and Bijarniya for abetment to suicide and under the SC/ST Act.
She alleged a “planned conspiracy” involving denied salary arrears and a bribery FIR filed against Kumar’s gunman, head constable Sushil Kumar, just days before the suicide. The FIR claimed the gunman extorted ₹2-2.5 lakh monthly from a liquor contractor, allegedly on Kumar’s orders, leading to the gunman’s arrest.
The family, backed by a 31-member committee, has refused to allow a postmortem until their daughter returns from abroad and their demands—Kapur’s removal, his arrest, and a high court-led probe—are met. A mahapanchayat held on October 11 at Chandigarh’s Sector 20 Gurudwara issued a 48-hour deadline, threatening statewide protests if unmet by Monday evening. Adding to the pressure, Chandigarh’s sanitation workers have suspended garbage collection indefinitely in solidarity, while social media campaigns like #JusticeForIPSPuranKumar gain traction.
Haryana authorities transferred Bijarniya out of Rohtak on October 11, but talks with the family, including meetings with Home Secretary Dr. Sumita Mishra and minister Krishan Bedi, have failed to break the deadlock. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Inspector General Pushpendra Kumar was formed to probe the death, with the body moved to PGIMER pending clearance.
The crisis has drawn sharp political reactions. Congress leaders Deepender Singh Hooda and Randeep Singh Surjewala visited the family, accusing the Saini government of fostering “casteist rot” in the police. Sonia Gandhi and Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy condemned the incident as evidence of systemic caste discrimination.
The Haryana IAS Officers’ Association mourned Kumar’s loss, urging swift action. With the Union Home Ministry monitoring the situation and PM Modi’s visit to Sonipat looming—where he will inaugurate major development projects—the Saini government faces a critical test.
Kumar’s brother, Amit Rattan, voiced the family’s frustration, “Five days after an ADGP’s death, we still have no justice.”
