Similarities in Haryana IPS and ASI suicides: In each case, a ‘final note’, shot in head, no eyewitness

The manner in which both were said to have taken their lives was also identical — nobody saw Y Puran Kumar shooting himself and nobody saw Sandeep Kumar killing himself.

While Chandigarh Police is investigating Y Puran Kumar’s case, Rohtak Police has opened an investigation into the death of Sandeep Kumar.

Refusing to grant consent for his post-mortem examination, Y Puran Kumar’s family has not yet claimed the body and is demanding the arrest of Kapur and Bijarniya. Sandeep Kumar’s family has also refused to get his post-mortem examination done and is demanding that a case be registered against all those supporting Y Puran Kumar’s family.

While Y Puran Kumar was a Dalit, Sandeep Kumar hailed from the Jat community. Jats account for 27 per cent and Dalits 22 per cent of Haryana’s population. There have been instances of caste tensions flaring up in the state. There was caste violence in Mirchpur in Hisar in April 2010, leaving many homeless and at least two persons dead. In February 2016, the Jat reservation agitation rocked the state in which 30 people lost their lives and properties were damaged.

On Tuesday, a senior Haryana police officer said a close watch was being kept and all steps were being taken to maintain law and order in the state.