Haryana DGP sent on leave as IPS officer’s suicide sparks caste bias firestorm

In a dramatic turn of events, the Haryana government late October 13 night sent Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur on leave, as the state reels under mounting outrage over the alleged suicide of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar.

The decision came just days after the transfer of Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya — both named in Kumar’s scathing suicide note that has shaken the state’s police establishment.

Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer serving as Additional Director General of Police, was found dead from a gunshot wound at his Chandigarh residence on October 7. His nine-page “final note” accused Kapur, Bijarniya, and several senior IAS and IPS officers of caste-based harassment and sustained professional victimization.

Confirming the development, Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Rajeev Jaitly said the DGP had been sent on leave, though the government has not disclosed the duration. “Further details will be shared later,” officials said.

The move follows a week-long standoff over Kumar’s post-mortem, as his wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, has refused to consent to the procedure until action is taken against all those named in the note.

The Chandigarh Police, which has registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), has maintained that the post-mortem cannot proceed without the family’s approval.

Amid swelling protests and national attention, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale met Amneet Kumar in Chandigarh October 13, assuring her of full support. He later met Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, urging “swift, transparent, and impartial action” on the family’s demands.

The political temperature continues to rise, with Dalit organizations issuing ultimatums to the government and national leaders rallying behind the family. Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet Amneet Kumar in Chandigarh on October 14.

As public pressure intensifies, the Haryana government has reiterated that “no one will be spared” in the investigation — yet questions over institutional accountability and caste discrimination within the police force continue to deepen the state’s crisis.