The investigation into the tragic suicide of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar in Chandigarh has entered a critical phase. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is meticulously piecing together the events leading to the incident, having now recorded statements from a majority of the high-ranking officials implicated in the officer's final note.
Investigation Reaches Decisive Stage
According to official sources, the SIT has so far recorded statements of 10 out of the total 14 IPS and IAS officers named in the suicide note left by ADGP-rank officer Y Puran Kumar. The team has also gathered accounts from approximately 60 individuals, including senior police officers, family members, close acquaintances, and other key witnesses.
The pace of the probe necessitated an extension beyond the initial 60-day period for filing a chargesheet. Investigators informed the court that the delay was due to pending statements from several senior officers and the detailed analysis of technical evidence. Officials close to the case confirm that the investigation has now reached a decisive stage.
Key Statements and Pending Actions
Among the prominent officers whose statements have been recorded are former Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapoor, Haryana IG Shibash Kaviraj, former DGPs P K Agrawal and Manoj Yadava, along with IPS officers Amitabh Dhillon and Sanjay Kumar. The SIT is closely examining evidence from the incident site, call detail records, various documents, and the contents of the final note.
Statements of four officers named in the note are still pending. The SIT has issued notices summoning them for questioning. The accounts of all named officers are considered crucial, and further legal and departmental action will be determined based on the findings from these statements and the corroborative evidence.
The Tragic Incident and Aftermath
The case stems from the shocking event on October 7, when Puran Kumar died by suicide at his residence in Chandigarh's Sector 11. The final note recovered from the scene contained serious allegations of caste-based harassment and professional persecution against 14 senior officers.
The aftermath saw a prolonged standoff. The officer's wife, Haryana IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, was returning from a Japan tour on October 8. Upon her return, she refused to allow the postmortem, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused officers and stringent departmental action against them. After a nine-day standoff, the postmortem was finally conducted, followed by the last rites.
The SIT continues its work, aiming to deliver a thorough and conclusive report that addresses the grave allegations raised and brings clarity to this deeply distressing case.
