Haryana IPS officer’s suicide: DGP Shatrujeet Kapur sent on leave as autopsy remains stalled

The Haryana government sent Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur on leave in a late-night move on Monday. The decision came just days after the transfer of Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya, as pressure mounted over the alleged suicide of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar.

Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer and Additional Director General of Police, was found dead from a gunshot wound at his Chandigarh residence on October 7. In an eight-page note recovered from the spot, he accused DGP Kapur, SP Bijarniya, and several senior police and IAS officers of caste-based harassment and professional victimisation.

Confirming the development, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s media advisor Rajeev Jaitly said the DGP had been sent on leave. However, officials have not revealed how long the leave will last.

What are the family’s demands?

The decision followed week-long protests and a standoff over the officer’s autopsy. Kumar’s wife, Amneet P Kumar, who is a 2001-batch IAS officer, has refused to give her consent for the autopsy. She has demanded that the government first take action against all officers named in her husband’s suicide note.

The Chandigarh Police have registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT). However, police officials said that the autopsy cannot be carried out without the family’s approval.

Notably, Kumar’s body is still in the mortuary, while Amneet continues to demand justice. The Haryana IAS Officers’ Association has also urged both the Chandigarh Administration and the state government to act on her complaint, in which she accused DGP Kapur of subjecting her husband to “years of humiliation and harassment.”

How has the government responded?

The state government has transferred SP Narendra Bijarniya, who was also named in the suicide note, from his post in Rohtak. Amid growing anger, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale met Amneet in Chandigarh on Monday and assured her of full support. Later, he met Chief Minister Saini and requested quick and fair action on the case.

Meanwhile, Dalit organisations have issued ultimatums to the Haryana government, demanding justice and punishment for those named in the note. Political leaders have also stepped in, as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet Kumar’s family in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

The Haryana government has maintained that the investigation will be fair and that “no one will be spared.”