Another suicide in Haryana: ASI dies, leaves note saying officer was corrupt

The incident took place a day after the Haryana government sent Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur on leave. It had earlier transferred Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya following an uproar over the death of Y Puran Kumar. A 2001-batch IPS officer and Additional Director General of Police, he was found dead with a gunshot wound at his Chandigarh home on October 7. In a “final note”, Kumar, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste, accused Kapur, Bijarniya, and several other senior police and IAS officers of caste-based harassment and professional victimisation.

Following Sandeep Kumar’s death Tuesday — he too left behind a ‘Final Note’ — a police officer said the ASI played a key role in the arrest of Head Constable Sushil Kumar who would identify himself as the Personal Security Officer of Y Puran Kumar. Sushil was arrested on October 6, a day before the IPS officer was found dead.

In a video clip and alleged suicide note, Sandeep elaborated on how Sushil was arrested. He said “a probe must be conducted into the assets of Y Puran Kumar and his family members”.

“I am Sandeep Kumar, and I want to make you aware of the truth. The cost of truth is very high. Even Bhagat Singh made sacrifices. He had to give up his life, only then did this country awaken. There is a police officer who took money in a murder case at the Sadar police station. He made a Rs 50 crore deal… An honest officer, Narendra Bijarniya, stood firm against them. Throughout his posting, he (Bijarniya) worked with integrity, didn’t even spare corrupt officials and managed on his salary alone… The day the IG (Y Puran Kumar) was posted, he checked the caste of each employee in the office and started transferring them… began appointing his own corrupt people,” he stated.

“Those people knew which files had issues, and they started calling people and demanding bribes. What I am saying is the truth. They created such an atmosphere that anyone who went there would be asked for money by Puran’s gunman, Sushil. You people are sitting in positions of justice – how can you ask for money? A businessman is already under stress, already being threatened with death by goons. And you are calling him in and harassing him. Is this what the chair was meant for? … The complaint about corruption filed against them scared him (the IPS officer) so much that he committed suicide,” the ASI alleged.

“When we caught gunman Sushil, on the way he told us there was one more thing – he said he had collected a bribe from somewhere else and the money was still in the car’s dashboard… the driver had taken the car… A notice was issued for them to be part of the investigation,” he alleged.

“The DGP (Shatrujeet Kapur) is a very honest man. This IAS lobby wants the DGP removed so they can enjoy the cream. They are destroying the country. Did Bhagat Singh sacrifice himself for this? If he were alive today, he would be ashamed to see the poison of casteism being spread. Did he fight for people like Y Puran Kumar? These people are trying to give it a casteist angle… They are stopping his rites and playing politics. I won’t let this happen. He did wrong, and he will reap what he has sown. With this, goodbye friends. Even if I am born again, I will be the same,” Sandeep Kumar said.

According to the Rohtak police, ASI Sandeep Kumar was posted in the Cyber Cell. (Special Arrangement)

The ASI, a Jat from Julana in Jind, was staying with his maternal uncle Balwan Deswal in Rohtak’s Ladhot road. A farm labour heard a gunshot and reached the house, constructed in the middle of a field, where he saw Sandeep lying in a pool of blood. The farm labour alerted Balwan’s son Ajit about the incident who informed police.

The Police Control Room received the information at about 2 pm.

Rohtak SP Surinder Bhoria, ASP Prateek Aggarwal and other senior officers reached the spot and opened an investigation.

Sandeep Kumar is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. His father Dayanand retired from Haryana Police as an Inspector. He passed away in a train accident 20 years ago.

Sandeep’s cousin Sheeshpal said, “His eldest daughter is preparing for NEET, the second daughter is in Class 9, and the son studies in Class 4… Just as Y Puran Kumar’s body was kept in Chandigarh, we shall also keep Sandeep’s body in Julana. A case should be filed against those who claimed to be supporters of Y Puran Kumar,” Sheeshpal said.

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