Rahul Gandhi to Console Family of IPS Officer Who Died by Suicide Amid Caste Harassment Allegations

Chandigarh, Oct 14: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is set to visit Chandigarh on Tuesday to meet the family of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, who died by suicide under tragic circumstances on October 7. The Congress party confirmed that Gandhi will reach the city around 5:30 p.m. to personally convey his condolences and express solidarity with the grieving family during this difficult time.

Puran Kumar, a 2010-batch Indian Police Service officer posted in Haryana, was found dead at his official residence in Sector 11, Chandigarh. According to preliminary reports, he used his service revolver to take his own life. A detailed note allegedly left behind by Kumar named 14 senior officials, accusing them of subjecting him to sustained mental harassment and caste-based discrimination within the department.

Following these revelations, the Chandigarh Police on October 9 registered a case against all 14 individuals identified in the note. The FIR invokes Section 108 of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to abetment of suicide, and Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(5) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which deal with offences involving humiliation, discrimination, and grave harm against members of the SC/ST communities. Among those named in the FIR are Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapoor and Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarnia.

Despite the registration of the case, Kumar’s family has expressed serious reservations about the credibility and fairness of the investigation. His wife, Amneet P. Kumar, a senior IAS officer, has withheld consent for the postmortem, citing a lack of trust in both the Chandigarh Police and the Haryana Government. As a result, the officer’s body has remained in the mortuary since his death, reflecting the family’s continued demand for an impartial and independent probe into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

On Monday, Amneet P. Kumar reportedly met with several senior political figures to seek justice for her late husband. However, she declined to meet some state government representatives, believing that their outreach was politically motivated and aimed at damage control rather than genuine support.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage within bureaucratic and political circles, highlighting concerns over systemic discrimination and the mental health pressures faced by officers in public service. The Congress party has sharply criticised the BJP-led Haryana Government, accusing it of administrative apathy and institutional failure. Party leaders have argued that the case underscores the urgent need for accountability, transparency, and structural reforms within the police and governance systems to safeguard the dignity and well-being of officers.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit, party insiders say, is intended not only as a gesture of compassion but also as a reaffirmation of the Congress’s stance against caste-based injustice and institutional neglect. His meeting with the family is expected to amplify calls for an independent, court-monitored investigation to ensure that justice is delivered without bias or political interference.