Bhatti Criticises Haryana Govt Over IPS Officer’s Suicide
Fifty-two-year-old Kumar, a 2001-batch Indian Police Service officer, allegedly shot himself at his Sector 11 residence in Chandigarh on October 7
Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka expressed deep anguish over the death of senior IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar of the Haryana cadre, who studied in Hyderabad, and died by suicide allegedly due to caste discrimination and mental harassment by senior officials.
Bhatti visited Puran Kumar’s family on Monday and called the suicide a very unfortunate and tragic incident, which moved him deeply. During Bhatti’s visit, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy spoke over the phone with Kumar’s wife, IAS officer Amneet Singh, to express solidarity with the bereaved family. The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister assured the family that the Telangana government would stand firmly with them.
Speaking to media persons later, Bhatti said Puran Kumar had served as additional DGP in Haryana and had also worked in the prestigious Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He was a highly accomplished officer who had received Presidential medals for his exemplary service. “It is deeply shocking that such a brilliant officer chose to end his life on the 7th of this month,” he said.
Referring to the ‘final note’ left by Kumar, Bhatti stated that the deceased officer had clearly mentioned two officers — Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and SP Narendra Bijarniya — accusing them of continuously humiliating and harassing him. “When there is such direct evidence, shouldn’t the government act immediately as per the law,” he questioned.
It has been seven days since the incident, and neither the Haryana government nor the Chandigarh police have taken any action against the accused, which is extremely worrying, the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Bhatti said even the post-mortem had not been conducted so far, and Kumar’s aged mother, wife, and daughters had not even been allowed to see his body — an act of sheer cruelty and inhumanity. “This is a gross violation of basic human rights,” he said.
He expressed anger that one of the accused Kapur already had previous allegations of caste discrimination against him, yet the Haryana government continued to retain him as DGP.
“Even a centenarian wishes to live longer. People struggling between life and death on hospital beds plead with doctors to save them. In such a world, for a senior IPS officer to say he can’t live anymore and take his own life — imagine the unbearable pain and humiliation he must have suffered,” Bhatti said. “If an IPS officer cannot be protected, what hope is left for ordinary citizens?” he asked.
He pointed out that human rights and civil society organisations had been protesting and demanding justice for the past week, yet the government had remained inactive. “Based on the suicide note, the Chandigarh police should have immediately taken action and arrested the accused. Why haven’t they done so?” he questioned.
He strongly criticised the silence of both the Haryana government and the Central government for failing to suspend or act against the accused officers. “Both Haryana and Chandigarh are under the BJP-led central government. Therefore, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister must fulfil their constitutional responsibility,” he demanded.
Bhatti said that Revanth Reddy, upon learning of the incident, immediately spoke with the bereaved family and sent him to personally meet and console them. “Puran Kumar studied engineering at Osmania University, Hyderabad, and pursued higher education at IIM before serving as an IPS officer in Haryana. He was a man of great talent. His death is not only an irreparable personal loss to his family but also a great loss to the entire system,” Bhatti said.
“This is not a political issue — it is a human rights issue. Every individual in this country has the right to live, and no one can deny that right,” he said. “The Congress will never tolerate such injustice and will not remain silent.”
He demanded the immediate arrest and legal action against DGP Kapur and SP Narendra, who were named in Puran Kumar’s suicide note. “That is the minimum responsibility of the government,” he said. “The family — his wife, mother, and two daughters — must be given full protection and justice. Delayed justice is equivalent to denied justice,” the Deputy CM asserted.
“This is a moral test for our democracy,” he concluded. AICC SC Cell chairman Koppula Raju, Chandigarh Congress president H.S. Lucky, and Constitution Committee chairman Dr Vinay accompanied the Deputy Chief Minister during his visit.
