Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi today blamed Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for failing to deliver “justice” to the family of Haryana IPS Y Puran Kumar, urging him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action, end the “drama” and let his wife and daughters hold the funeral.
A 2001-batch IPS officer and Additional Director General of Police, Kumar was found dead with a gunshot wound at his Chandigarh home on October 7.
Gandhi said the Haryana CM had assured the family that justice would be done but three days had passed and no action had been taken. “Y Puran Kumar has two daughters who have lost their father ….the delay in the Haryana government’s action is sending a wrong message to crores of Dalits,” he said
“He was an IPS officer… It sends a wrong message to crores of Dalits that no matter how successful or intelligent you are, you can be suppressed. My message as the LoP to the PM and Haryana CM is fulfil the commitment given to the daughters, allow the funeral, end this drama and stop exerting pressure on the family,” he said
The Chandigarh Police last week set up a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into an FIR registered after taking cognisance of a “final note” left behind by the late IPS officer who purportedly died by suicide. On Monday, the Haryana government sent Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur on leave after transferring Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya.
Earlier Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressed deep grief over the death by alleged suicide, calling the incident “shocking” and “deeply painful.” In a strongly worded condolence letter to his wife, senior IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, Sonia Gandhi highlighted the systemic issues underlying the tragedy, subtly attributing blame to governance failures in BJP-ruled states like Haryana and Bihar. “The untimely and tragic passing of Mr. Y. Puran Kumar reveals a harsh truth — that even officers at the highest ranks are not spared from social injustice, discrimination, and the deeply entrenched biases of those in power,” Gandhi wrote, adding “crores of Indians stand with you in your fight for justice.”
The family wants that officers named in the deceased’s suicide note be formally included as suspects in the FIR, and that appropriate legal action be initiated against them.
While the death occurred in Haryana, its reverberations may be felt in poll-bound Bihar where caste injustice remains a politically volatile issue. If the opposition succeeds in sustaining the narrative and mobilising Dalit communities, the Nayab Singh Saini government’s handling of the case, it could influence electoral outcomes in caste-sensitive constituencies. Timing is crucial — particularly if the investigation is seen as delayed or lacking credibility.
The nine-page “final note” left by the late officer reportedly details caste-based harassment, systemic discrimination, and repeated public humiliation — all contributing to his mental distress. These claims have touched a raw nerve, particularly with Bihar heading into elections. Dalits constitute approximately 16% of the state’s population and frequently play a decisive role in close electoral contests. Puran Kumar’s death and the circumstances around it are being cited by BJP rivals as evidence that even those who rise through merit are not spared from casteist oppression.
The Congress has called the incident a reflection of the BJP’s “Manuvadi” mindset. In Bihar, where the Congress is allied with the RJD under the INDIA bloc, the tragedy aligns with their long standing narrative around social justice.
Amneet P. Kumar, the officer’s widow, lodged a formal complaint with Chandigarh Police, seeking an FIR against DGP Kapur and Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarnia and demanding their arrest under BNS Section 108 (abetment to suicide) and relevant sections of the SC/ST Act. “This is not a case of ordinary suicide, but the direct result of systematic persecution of an honest officer from a Scheduled Caste community by powerful superiors,” her complaint read. “Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done — even for families like ours, shattered by the cruelty of the powerful.”
