Dalits won't encourage children to become IAS, IPS officers if Kumar's family doesn't get justice: Paswan

Chandigarh, Oct 14 (PTI) Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Tuesday asserted that the family of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who allegedly committed suicide, will get justice and also said if no action is taken in the matter, then no Dalit family will ever encourage its children to become IAS or IPS officers.

Paswan on Tuesday met the family of Kumar at his residence here to express condolences.

Kumar (52), a 2001-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, allegedly shot himself dead on October 7.

Addressing the media here, Paswan dubbed the incident as painful, and said it has exposed those social evils which showed that people are victimised on the basis of caste and religion even in the 21st century.

Not only for the society, it is a matter of concern for the whole country, he said.

"On one hand, we are presenting India as a power on the world stage, today we are going to the moon. We are doing big work, while on the other hand, in our country, one officer is victimised in such a way that in the end, he lost his life," said Paswan, who is the national president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas).

It shows that some people are spreading the "poison of casteism" in the entire society, he said.

"I assure the family from the government side that the family's demand will be fulfilled soon. Through this, a message should go across the society and I understand with full responsibility that if no action is taken in the matter then no other Dalit family will ever encourage its children to become IAS or IPS officers," Paswan said.

He said whosoever is guilty, irrespective of the positions they hold, strictest action will be taken against them.

"This is my family. Amneet ji is my sister... this family is not alone, I will also fight along with it," said Paswan.

In an eight-page final note purportedly left behind by him, Kumar accused eight senior IPS officers, including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and now transferred Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, of "blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities".

The IPS officer'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 officer's family, which is also seeking their arrest, has refused to give consent for a postmortem and cremation until its demands are addressed.

The Haryana government on Tuesday sent DGP Kapur on leave amid the opposition's attack on the BJP dispensation over the issue. PTI CHS VSD MNK MNK