Mystery deepens as Haryana ASI shoots himself dead, implicates Puran Kumar

Chandigarh: A Haryana assistant sub-inspector in Rohtak shot himself dead on Tuesday and purportedly levelled corruption allegations against the late Inspector General Y Puran Kumar, adding a murky twist to the suspected suicide of the senior Dalit officer who served in the same district.

ASI Sandeep Kumar’s alleged suicide comes in the backdrop of the escalating row over Puran Kumar’s death, which has led to a shakeup of the police brass and also become a huge political issue.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the senior officer’s family and called for the respect of all Dalits. He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state government to take immediate action and arrest the officials responsible.

The second suicide of a Haryana cop has muddied the waters even more, the questions becoming louder, the mystery deeper.

Sandeep Kumar’s shock death came hours after the state government late Monday night sent state DGP Shatrujeet Kapur on leave. Before that, the government transferred Narendra Bijarniya, former Rohtak superintendent of police. The two were among the eight officials named by Puran Kumar in a note he left behind.

O P Singh, a 1992-batch IPS officer of DGP rank, has been assigned "additional charge of DGP Haryana during the leave period of Shatrujeet Kapur", according to an official order.

Sandeep Kumar, who was posted in the cyber cell and whose body was recovered from his Rohtak home, left behind a six-minute purported video and a three-page suicide note naming Puran Kumar. The veracity of the video and the statement could not be immediately verified.

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Police sources said the ASI played a role in the arrest of head constable Sushil Kumar, an aide of Puran Kumar who was found with a gunshot wound in his Chandigarh home on October 7.

"Sandeep shot himself," said a senior police official from Rohtak.

"ASI Sandeep was a very hardworking and an honest person in our department. We received information that a body has been found after which we reached here," Rohtak Superintendent of Police S S Bhoria told reporters at the incident site.

Asked about the video and the note, he said, "To say anything at this stage is difficult... the forensic team is investigating." Sandeep Kumar levelled serious allegations against Puran Kumar in the purported video, saying even Bhagat Singh made sacrifices and walked a difficult path after which the country awakened.

"And today, this country will awaken when we sacrifice ourselves on path of truth," he is heard as saying while claiming that "honest officer" Bijarniya had confronted Puran Kumar.

Puran Kumar's name had cropped up in a bribery scandal recently.

A liquor contractor in Rohtak filed a bribery case against head constable Sushil Kumar. He alleged Sushil Kumar sought a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh in Puran Kumar's name (when he was posted there).

Puran Kumar, 52, had recently been posted as inspector general, Police Training Centre (PTC), in Sunaria, Rohtak. His note accused eight officers, including DGP Kapur and Bijarniya, of "blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities".

Puran Kumar'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 is also seeking their arrest and has refused consent for post-mortem and cremation until their demands are met.

Addressing reporters after meeting Amneet Kumar and her two daughters, Rahul Gandhi said there was systematic discrimination against Puran Kumar to demoralise him and damage his career.

"... end the pressure on this family," he said, adding that there should be immediate action against the officials mentioned in the note.

"You arrest them," Gandhi said.

He also accused Saini of not fulfilling his commitment to the family about holding a free and fair inquiry into the matter.

The Congress leader said it is only not a matter of one family but of the respect of every Dalit brother and sister.

"The wrong message is going to crores of Dalits brothers and sisters in the country... that no matter how successful, intelligent or capable you may be, if you are a Dalit, you can be suppressed, crushed and thrown away. This is not acceptable to us," said Gandhi.

He added that efforts were made to end Kumar's career, prompting him to end his life.

"My message as a LoP (leader of opposition) to the prime minister and the chief minister of Haryana is that the commitment you have given to these two daughters, you fulfill it and let their papa's funeral take place and stop this 'tamasha'." In a post on X later, Gandhi said Kumar's suicide is a tragedy that shakes the conscience of the society and system.

"What could be more painful than the fact that Y Puran Kumar Ji's wife has been waiting for a week to perform her husband's last rites with dignity. She, their children, and the entire Dalit society that can feel their pain is going through mental agony. Just thinking about it is disturbing," the former Congress chief said.

"But how stone-hearted is the one running the Haryana government from Delhi, Narendra Modi, whose heart does not melt because it is under his rule that this brutal oppression is taking place. Days are passing by, but there is still no arrest-this is clearly an injustice," Gandhi said.

Kumar, a 52-year-old 2001 batch officer, was known for his interventions in matters related to the rights of officers and seniority and other issues.

The Chandigarh Police has constituted a six-member special investigation team to investigate the Puran Kumar case.

Members of many Dalit outfits and some opposition parties have staged protests at different places in Haryana, demanding strict action against the accused in the case.

In the wake of the protests, the Haryana government has asked the police to maintain strict vigil and harmony by working closely with community leaders.

It said field officers must be prepared to take proactive steps to prevent any untoward incidents.

Over the last few days, many political leaders have visited Puran Kumar's family to offer their condolences and the opposition has stepped up attack on the state government.

Among those who have visited the family are Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Congress MP from Rohtak Deepender Singh Hooda and INLD chief Abhay Singh Chautala.