Haryana IPS officer's 'suicide': Family gives consent, autopsy to be conducted soon, say police

Chandigarh: Ending an impasse over the autopsy of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who allegedly committed suicide here on October 7, his family has given consent to conduct his post-mortem examination, a police official said on Wednesday. The development came a day after Chandigarh Police moved court seeking direction to Kumar's family to identify the body for post-mortem. The family of the deceased officer, including his wife and IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, arrived at the PGIMER here on Wednesday to identify the body and complete other formalities, and the post-mortem will be conducted at PGIMER soon, the official said. On police's plea, a local court had issued a notice to Kumar's wife to file a reply either personally or through counsel on October 15, failing which the application will be decided on merit.

Inspector General Y Puran Kumar, 52, allegedly shot himself dead on October 7. However, a post-mortem could not be conducted as his family refused to give consent until action is taken against the Haryana officers who have been named in a 'final note' of the deceased Dalit senior officer. Chandigarh Police has constituted a six-member special investigation team to probe the case. Amid opposition's attack and demand from Kumar's family for action against officers accused of harassing him, the Haryana government on Tuesday sent DGP Shatrujeet Kapur on leave, and given the additional charge of Haryana DGP to O P Singh, a 1992-batch IPS officer. Last week, it had transferred Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya. Kumar's body has been kept at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). On Tuesday, Chandigarh Police said it was constrained to approach a local court for direction to the family to come forward for identification of the body for the post-mortem. Earlier, they requested the family through the investigating officer, the senior superintendent of police and inspector general of police for the autopsy. In a statement on Tuesday, Chandigarh Police said that it is absolutely vital at this stage that the post-mortem be conducted at the earliest to preserve important forensic evidence and in the interest of justice. Police had earlier said that a board of doctors was constituted for the autopsy in the presence of executive magistrate, ballistic expert, toxicology expert, forensic expert, and fingerprint expert with arrangements made for videography and photography. An eight-page 'final note' purportedly left behind by Kumar accused eight senior IPS officers -- including Haryana DGP Kapur and now-transferred Rohtak SP Bijarniya -- of "blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities". Kumar's wife had demanded that Kapur and Bijarniya be named in the FIR and arrested for alleged abetment of her husband's suicide. Meanwhile, adding a twist to the suspected suicide of IG Puran Kumar, who served in Rohtak, an assistant sub-inspector in the district, Sandeep Kumar, allegedly shot himself dead on Tuesday, purportedly levelling corruption allegations against the late senior officer. ASI Sandeep Kumar's alleged suicide came in the backdrop of the escalating row over Puran Kumar's death, which shook up the police top brass and raked up a political storm. On Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Puran Kumar's family and called for the respect of all Dalits. He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Haryana government to take immediate action and arrest the officials responsible. After Puran Kumar's suicide, several political leaders cutting across party lines had been visiting the family at their Sector 24 residence to offer condolences. Many opposition leaders had been demanding action in Puran Kumar's alleged suicide case. Members of several Dalit outfits and some opposition parties have staged protests at different places in Haryana, demanding strict action against the accused in the case.