Chandigarh Police forms SIT to probe IPS officer Y Puran Kumar’s death; National Commission for Scheduled Castes steps in

“In view of the gravity and sensitivity of the allegations in the FIR, an SIT consisting of the following officers is hereby constituted with immediate effect to conduct a prompt, impartial, and thorough investigation under the supervision of IGP Pushpendra Kumar. The team includes SSP (UT) Kanwardeep Kaur, SP (City) KM Priyanka, DSP (Traffic) Charanjit Singh Virk, SDPO (South) Gurjit Kaur, and Inspector Jaiveer Singh Rana (SHO, Police Station 11). The SIT shall investigate all aspects of the case, including evidence collection, witness examination, expert opinions, and legal advice, in a time-bound manner, and prepare a final report upon completion. The SIT may co-opt other officers or experts as required,” the DGP’s order stated.

In the evening, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra posted on X, expressing shock over the incident. In her post (translated from Hindi), she wrote: “The entire nation is shocked by the suicide of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who was distressed due to caste-based harassment. The ongoing series of injustice, atrocities, and violence against Dalits across the country is horrifying… If this is the condition of Dalits in high-ranking positions, imagine the plight of the common Dalit community.”

Meanwhile, the bereaved family has yet to give consent for the post-mortem examination. Police sources said the family’s demand for a board of doctors and videography of the entire post-mortem has been accepted. The police have also written to PGIMER, Chandigarh, requesting the constitution of a medical board.

Kishor Makwana, chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), also visited Kumar’s residence and met his wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, and other family members. The NCSC had taken suo motu notice of The Indian Express report on the incident and issued a notice to the Haryana government, seeking a detailed report.