IPS officer’s ‘suicide’: Haryana govt relieves Shatrujeet Kapur from DGP charge

Chandigarh: Two months after he was sent on leave amid a controversy over IPS officer Y Puran Kumar’s alleged suicide, the Haryana government on Sunday relieved IPS officer Shatrujeet Kapur from the charge of Director General of Police (DGP).

O P Singh who was given additional charge as state police chief during Kapur’s absence has been appointed as officiating DGP (head of police force) till further orders.

The Haryana government is likely to send a panel of senior IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission for appointing a new DGP as Singh, a 1992-batch IPS officer, is due to retire on December 31.

Kapur, a 1990-batch IPS officer, will continue to hold the charge of chairman of Haryana Police Housing Corporation, Panchkula, according to an official order. An engineering graduate, Kapur was appointed the state police chief in August 2023.

On October 14, Kapur went on leave amid mounting criticism from opposition parties over IPS officer Y Puran Kumar’s alleged suicide. Singh was then given additional charge of DGP.

Kumar (52), a 2001-batch IPS officer, allegedly shot himself dead on October 7.

In an eight-page ‘final note’ purportedly left behind, Kumar accused multiple senior officers, including Shatrujeet Kapur, of “blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities”.

Amid pressure from the political parties, the Haryana government first shunted out Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya and later sent Shatrujeet Kapur on leave.

Kumar’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, gave consent for post-mortem a week after the alleged suicide after receiving assurance from Chandigarh Police that a fair probe would be conducted and a commitment from the Haryana government that action will be taken against any “erring” officials.