Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur Sent on Leave After IPS Officer Y Puran Kumar’s Alleged Suicide

The Haryana government has sent Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur on leave following mounting opposition criticism over the alleged suicide of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar and accusations by his family that senior officers had harassed him, according to PTI.

The late-night decision came days after the government transferred Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya, one of the officers named in Kumar’s purported eight-page “final note.” In the note, Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer, accused eight senior IPS officials, including Kapur and Bijarniya, of “blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities.”

Rajiv Jaitly, media adviser to the Haryana chief minister, confirmed the development, saying, “Yes, the DGP has been sent on leave by the government.”

Kumar, 52, allegedly shot himself dead on 7 October. Following the registration of an FIR, the Chandigarh Police constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. The 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 family has also refused to give consent for the post-mortem and cremation until their demands are met.

In recent days, several political leaders have visited the family’s residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 24 to express condolences. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to meet the family on Tuesday.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, who met the family on Monday, said Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had assured that action would be taken against those found guilty. Opposition leaders have intensified their criticism of the state government, demanding accountability and swift action in the case.

Among those who met the family on Monday were Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Congress MP from Rohtak Deepender Singh Hooda, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Abhay Singh Chautala, and Punjab Finance Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Harpal Singh Cheema, PTI reported.

Vikramarka, who said Kumar hailed from Telangana, described the incident as “extremely sad” and urged the government to act immediately on what he called the officer’s “dying declaration.” “Y Puran Kumar gave up his life and in his dying declaration, he mentioned particularly about two officers, Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and the then Rohtak SP Narendra (Bijarniya), stating that they have humiliated him, insulted him, and they are the root cause for his suicide,” Vikramarka said.

Meanwhile, a 31-member committee formed to seek “justice” for the deceased officer’s family on Sunday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government to act against Kapur and Bijarniya.

According to PTI, the opposition has stepped up pressure on the BJP-led dispensation, accusing it of shielding senior officers and mishandling the case that has triggered widespread outrage and calls for accountability within the police force.

(With inputs from PTI)