Haryana IPS officer 'suicide': Cong MP meets Chandigarh administrator, seeks judicial inquiry

Chandigarh, Oct 10 (PTI) Congress MP Varun Chaudhry on Friday met Punjab Governor-cum Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, seeking a judicial inquiry under the chairmanship of a sitting high court judge into the alleged suicide of senior Haryana police officer Y Puran Kumar.

Ambala MP Chaudhry, who was accompanied by Punjab MLA Amit Rattan, met Kataria in Ludhiana and expressed shock at the alleged caste discrimination faced by the IPS officer at the hands of senior cops.

Rattan is AAP MLA from Bathinda Rural assembly seat and is the younger brother of Amneet P Kumar, the wife of the deceased IPS officer.

In a memorandum submitted to Kataria, the Congress leader referred to the 'final note' left behind by the IPS officer, who allegedly shot himself dead at his Sector 11 residence here on Tuesday.

The note names "senior officers" and details alleged "mental harassment" and humiliation, which included caste discrimination, he faced over the last few years, according to sources.

Demanding a judicial inquiry under the chairmanship of a sitting HC judge, Chaudhry wrote, "The whole nation is in shock to know about the suicide by an IPS officer and more shocking is the reason for the extreme step: caste-based discrimination done by the top-most officials of the state of Haryana." "The dream of an atrocity-free India envisioned by Baba Saheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar ji is still unfulfilled as exposed by this extreme step taken due to the atrocities faced by Shri Y Puran Kumar, IPS," he alleged in the memorandum.

He requested that "suitable action be taken in the matter against the erring officers responsible" and requested security for the family members of Puran Kumar.

Later, he said, "We brought to his notice various things pertaining to the incident. We also stated how incomplete information has been given in the FIR, which has been registered in the matter, as it does not accurately reflect the names of the accused." The Congress leader said that Puran Kumar's family believes that the deceased police officer has specifically referred to Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya and immediate action should be taken against them as per law.

After meeting Kataria in Ludhiana, Chaudhry and Rattan reached the residence of Amneet Kumar, who is also a senior IAS officer, in Chandigarh's Sector 24.

Chandigarh Police late Thursday evening registered an FIR with charges of abetment to suicide and some provisions of the SC/ST Act based on a 'final note' by the deceased police officer who has named many senior IPS officers, and specifically referred to Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya for allegedly harassing and maligning him.

A day after an FIR was registered, his wife wrote to the police questioning "incomplete information" in the police report, and asked for it to be amended "to accurately reflect the names of all accused".

In a letter to Chandigarh Police SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, Amneet has also sought that "diluted sections of the SC/ST Act" that have been added in the FIR should be amended.

Chaudhry said, "In his 'final note', Y Puran Kumar has also mentioned the role of some other officers during his career...." He said the family has demanded that both DGP Kapur and Rohtak SP Bijarniya should be relieved from their duties as they are in powerful positions and can influence the probe by Chandigarh Police.

"So long as these officers are holding the charge, a free and fair inquiry cannot be expected," he said.

MLA Amit Rattan said, "We could never imagine that such a thing could happen. Y Puran ji was a brave person, but such circumstances were created...even after he is no more, we are forced to move here and there to have a proper FIR in the matter." "Such is the state of things...And it is almost eight decades after India became free, still, there is exploitation and harassment on the basis of one's caste.

"In his final note, which is his dying declaration, he has given an account of how he was harassed based on caste," Rattan said.

The AAP MLA Puran Kumar was the "pride of the entire Dalit community. We cannot find another person like him in society." "There is so much anger among the people, especially the Dalit community," he said.

On Amneet's objection to the content of the FIR, Rattan said, "What is the meaning of this FIR where no one has been mentioned in the accused column?" PTI SUN SKY SKY