New Delhi: In a significant development in the alleged suicide case of senior Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, the Chandigarh Police have invoked Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following a request from his wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar. The move comes amid mounting allegations of caste-based harassment, abetment, and administrative pressure leading to the officer’s death.
According to officials, the FIR—initially filed under lesser provisions of the SC/ST Act—has now been updated to include the more stringent Section 3(2)(v), which applies when an offence under the Indian Penal Code punishable with ten years or more is committed against a member of the SC/ST community. The section makes the offence punishable with imprisonment for life and a fine.
Amneet P Kumar had written to the Chandigarh Police earlier this week, urging that the FIR be modified to reflect “the appropriate and non-diluted sections” of the SC/ST Act. She specifically requested that Section 3(2)(v) be invoked, terming it “the appropriate section applicable” to her husband’s case.
In her letter addressed to SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, she also demanded that those allegedly responsible for her husband’s death be named and arrested immediately. Among those she accused are Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, both of whom have been mentioned in the FIR.
Confirming the development, Chandigarh IG Pushpendra Kumar, who heads the newly formed six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), said on Sunday that the section has been added to the FIR. The SIT has been tasked with conducting a “prompt, impartial, and time-bound investigation” into the circumstances surrounding the death of the officer.
The Haryana government has meanwhile transferred Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, one of the officers named by Amneet in her complaint, replacing him with IPS officer Surinder Singh Bhoria, who has taken charge. An official order stated that Bijarniya’s next posting will be announced separately.
Despite the formation of the SIT, the family of Y Puran Kumar has refused to consent to the autopsy, citing unfulfilled demands. The deceased officer’s relatives have sought action against the accused officials and proper recognition of the caste-based persecution he allegedly faced.
A 31-member committee, the Shaheed Y Puran Singh Nyaya Sangharsh Morcha, has been formed to ensure the family’s demands are addressed. The committee has announced a “mahapanchayat” in Chandigarh on Sunday to rally public support for justice.
On Saturday, a delegation of senior Haryana government officials—including Ministers Krishan Lal Panwar and Krishan Kumar Bedi, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, and Principal Secretary to the CM Rajesh Khullar—met with the family in an attempt to persuade them to allow the post-mortem and cremation to proceed.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also broke his silence on the case, assuring that the government would take “strict action against anyone found guilty, regardless of their position.” He urged opposition parties not to politicise the matter, even as the controversy drew widespread attention from officials and political leaders across states.
Y Puran Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer, was serving as Inspector General of the Police Training Centre (PTC), Rohtak-Sunaria at the time of his death. He allegedly shot himself at his residence on Tuesday, leaving behind a ‘final note’ and a ‘will’—both seized by police from the scene.
In the note, he reportedly named eight senior IPS officers, including DGP Kapur and then Rohtak SP Bijarniya, accusing them of harassment, humiliation, and caste-based discrimination. The note detailed incidents of alleged mistreatment and administrative victimisation he faced within the department.
Known for his commitment to fairness and his advocacy for the rights and seniority of officers, Kumar was widely respected in the police force. His sudden death has sparked deep shock and outrage among colleagues and the public alike, especially as allegations of caste bias within the police hierarchy surface.
The Chandigarh Police’s SIT continues its probe, focusing on verifying the claims made in the final note, examining internal departmental communications, and identifying whether caste-based discrimination or official misconduct contributed to the officer’s death.
