Haryana IPS Officer's Suicide Case: Stringent SC/ST Act Invoked Following Wife's Plea for Justice

Authorities have incorporated stricter provisions of the SC/ST Act in the FIR concerning Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar's alleged suicide case, following a formal request from his wife.

Amneet P Kumar, a senior IAS officer and wife of the deceased, specifically requested that Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act be applied to the case, citing that previous sections were inadequate. Inspector General Pushpendra Kumar, who heads the six-member Special Investigation Team probing the matter, confirmed on Sunday that this section has now been added to the FIR.

The family of Puran Kumar has withheld consent for autopsy until their demands are addressed by authorities. In a significant development, the Haryana government removed Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya from his post on Saturday. Bijarniya was among those officials whom Amneet had accused of abetting her husband's suicide. IPS officer Surinder Singh Bhoria has been appointed as the new Rohtak SP.

In her letter to SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, Amneet specifically named Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and former Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya as accused parties who should be formally named in the FIR. The initial police report had only included charges under Section 108 related to abetment of suicide and Section 3(1)(r) of the POA Act.

The newly incorporated Section 3(2)(v) carries significantly stronger penalties, mandating life imprisonment for offenses against SC/ST persons that would normally be punishable with imprisonment of ten years or more under the Indian Penal Code.

On Saturday, multiple Haryana ministers including Krishan Lal Panwar and Krishan Kumar Bedi, along with Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi and principal secretary to the CM Rajesh Khullar, met with Puran Kumar's family, apparently attempting to persuade them to consent to post-mortem and cremation procedures.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini broke his silence on the case Saturday, promising that responsible parties would face consequences regardless of their position, while urging opposition parties not to politicize the tragedy.

The case has drawn significant attention, with numerous officials, ministers, and politicians visiting Amneet P Kumar. A 31-member committee named "Shaheed Y Puran Singh Nyaya Sangharsh Morcha" has been formed to advocate for the family's concerns and has announced a "mahapanchayat" (community gathering) in Chandigarh on Sunday.

In his final note, 52-year-old Puran Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer, reportedly named eight senior officers including DGP Kapur and then-Rohtak SP Bijarniya, alleging harassment and character assassination. The note detailed instances of alleged harassment and caste-based discrimination by several officers.

Puran Kumar, who had recently been appointed as Inspector General of the Police Training Centre in Rohtak's Sunaria, was known for advocating for officers' rights and seniority issues. He allegedly shot himself at his Chandigarh residence on Tuesday.

His wife has characterized his death as the result of "systematic persecution" by high-ranking officers. Investigators recovered a "will" and a "final note" from the scene.

Chandigarh Police established the six-member Special Investigation Team led by IG Pushpendra Kumar on Friday, tasked with conducting a "prompt, impartial and thorough investigation" into the officer's death within a specified timeframe.