On the ground floor of a small two-storey house with fading green and pink wall paints, villagers gathered to mourn the death of police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Sandeep Kumar, Tuesday.
His body lies in a coffin refrigerator in an adjoining room.
Kumar, who was found dead with a gunshot wound Tuesday, allegedly a suicide, left behind a note levelling allegations of corruption against Haryana-cadre IPS officer Y Puran Kumar and sought a probe into the family’s assets. Puran Kumar, Additional Director General of Police, was found dead with a gunshot wound at his Chandigarh home on October 7.
Sandeep’s paternal cousin Sanjay, 42, said, “Hamare bhai ne balidaan kia hain bhrastachar ke khilaaf (our brother has sacrificed his life for the cause of anti-corruption).”
Outside Sandeep’s house, in Ladhot village there were murmurs and the sound of a hookah being passed around.
His mother rushed to the village, around 10 km from Rohtak, after she learned that his body was found in the fields by labourers around 1 pm.
His wife and two kids remained at the government house in town and are grief-mute, relatives and villagers said.
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The couple has two daughters — one a doctor and another studying in a Rajasthan college, and one son, aged seven, in school. His father, who died recently, was also with the Haryana Police.
Sandeep and his family hail from Julana in Jind but he lived with his wife and children in the police quarters in Rohtak.
He spent most of his time in his maternal uncle’s home in Ladhot, where his body now lies in a freezer donated by a Gurudwara of a neighbouring village.
“He was like a nephew to the entire village. I spoke to him over tea just today around 10 am,” said a childhood friend, who did not want to be named.
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The villagers and family say no politician has come to visit them yet.
Sanjay and a group of men demanded an FIR should be registered based on the video message and an investigation launched. “Until then, we will not hand over the body and it will remain here,” they said.
At least 11 police personnel, including crime branch officers, are posted around the home. “Baat cheet chal rahi hai (talks are on),” one of them says on the family’s demands.
Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana.
Education
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020)
- B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019)
Professional Experience
Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features.
Reporting Interests
His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon.
Recent Coverage (2025)
- Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025).
- Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025).
- Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025).
- Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram.
- Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025).
- Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025).
Contact
X (Twitter): @AB_Hazardous ... Read More
