Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar met the grieving family of Additional Director General of Police Y Puran Kumar on Thursday, extending heartfelt condolences over the senior IPS officer's death by suicide earlier this month. The visit, at the family's residence in Sector 11, included a poignant interaction with Kumar's wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, amid an outpouring of political and public support for the bereaved. Kumar, a 2001-batch officer whose service was marked by dedication to training and administration, ended his life on October 7, leaving behind a nine-page note that has thrust the Haryana Police into a storm of allegations regarding internal misconduct.
The meeting underscored Khattar's ongoing engagement with families affected by recent tragedies in the state force. Kumar's suicide note named 15 serving and retired officers, accusing them of caste-based discrimination, mental harassment, public humiliation, and bias—claims that have prompted a First Information Report under Section 108 of the Indian Penal Code for abetment to suicide and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The note spotlighted senior figures like Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapoor and Superintendent of Police Narinder Bijarniya, intensifying scrutiny on the department's culture. Amneet P Kumar, who was in Japan on official duty during the incident, delayed post-mortem consent for nine days, citing demands for a fair probe; the Haryana government acceded, assuring impartial investigation and action against erring officials, after which last rites proceeded on October 15 at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Khattar's visit echoes his recent outreach to the family of Assistant Sub-Inspector Sandeep Kumar Lathar, another Haryana Police officer who died by suicide on October 14 in Rohtak, allegedly accusing the late Puran Kumar and his kin of corruption in a video and note. There, Khattar promised government employment for Lathar's widow and educational support for their children, while urging against politicising or caste-colouring the incidents—labelling corruption the "central social evil". Both cases, unfolding within a week, have triggered transfers, including DGP Kapoor's leave and Rohtak SP Bijarniya's reassignment, alongside a special investigation team. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and opposition figures like Rahul Gandhi have also consoled the families, highlighting cross-party solidarity amid calls for systemic reform.
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These tragedies expose deep fissures in Haryana's policing apparatus, where caste dynamics and workplace stress have long simmered, contributing to a national spike in uniformed suicides—over 1,000 since 2015 per NCRB data. As probes unfold, the events risk escalating into a broader discourse on bureaucratic accountability, with civil society demanding independent oversight. Khattar's gestures signal governmental responsiveness, but sustained action on harassment claims will be crucial to restoring morale in a force pivotal to the state's law-and-order framework.
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