IPS officer Y Puran Kumar’s death sparks storm: ‘Suicide note’ alleges caste bias, names top Haryana officers

Alleging years of “caste-based discrimination, public humiliation, and targeted mental harassment,” Haryana-cadre IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, 52, was found dead with a gunshot wound at his Chandigarh residence on October 7.

In a detailed eight-page “final note”, Kumar reportedly named nine serving IPS officers, a retired IPS officer, and three retired IAS officers of the Haryana government, accusing them of relentless persecution that drove him to his death.

The 2001-batch officer, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste and was serving as Inspector General at the Police Training Centre, Sunaria-Rohtak, wrote that the “continued blatant caste-based discrimination and administrative torture” had become “unbearable.”

He alleged denial of basic entitlements such as leave, official accommodation, and vehicle allocation, and claimed he was deliberately assigned to “non-existent posts.”

“They humiliated me publicly, harassed me through false proceedings, and ignored every representation I made,” Kumar wrote, describing a prolonged pattern of what he called revengeful administrative actions.

‘My husband was pushed to his final anguish’

Kumar’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, who was in Japan on official duty, returned to India on October 8 and lodged a formal police complaint. She sought registration of an FIR under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (earlier Section 306 IPC) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya.

In her four-page complaint, Amneet alleged a “well-planned conspiracy” to falsely implicate her husband in a fabricated case just before his death.

“The eight-page suicide note, a document of a broken spirit, lays bare these truths and names of numerous officers whose relentless actions pushed him to the edge,” she wrote, demanding the immediate arrest of the senior officers.

She claimed her husband had called both Kapur and Bijarniya hours before his death, but neither responded. Amneet has also refused to allow the post-mortem until a case is registered against those named in her husband’s note.

Officials deny charges

A senior Haryana police officer dismissed the allegations, calling them a reaction to the state’s “crackdown on corruption.” Both DGP Kapur and SP Bijarniya have so far not responded to calls or messages seeking their comments.

Meanwhile, Chandigarh Police have confirmed the recovery of a “will and final note” from Kumar’s residence. “He mentioned his issues with the administration and named several senior officers of Haryana Police,” a senior officer said, adding that the matter is under active investigation.

A pattern of alleged bias

In his “final note,” Kumar described being denied leave to visit his ailing father — who died before he could see him — and being rebuked for visiting a temple, which he claimed was later twisted into an act of misconduct. He detailed how his official complaints were ignored, alleging a campaign of vindictive postings and false cases intended to humiliate him.

“They refused my arrears, blocked my promotions, and used my complaints against me,” he wrote, asserting that his faith and caste were used as tools of systemic exclusion.

Investigations widen

According to Chandigarh Police, forensic teams have recovered electronic devices, CCTV footage, and multiple copies of the will and note from Kumar’s residence. A medical board with a forensic expert has been constituted to conduct the post-mortem once permissions are granted.

Sources said Amneet, in her statement, described her husband as “calm and normal” during their last phone call. She also spoke with their daughter shortly before the incident, dismissing any signs of distress or depression.

A storm over justice and accountability

The tragedy has triggered shockwaves in bureaucratic and political circles, reopening debates on institutional discrimination and accountability within the police force. Amneet’s brother, AAP MLA Amit Rattan, and his wife, IPS officer Sanmeet Kaur, have also urged an impartial probe.

As investigations progress, questions loom large over whether Kumar’s death was an act of despair or a grim indictment of a system he faithfully served — until it allegedly broke him.