NEW DELHI— The tragic suicide of Y. Puran Kumar, a senior Dalit IPS officer of the Haryana cadre, has sent shockwaves through the administrative and police services. His wife, an IAS officer, has leveled serious allegations, terming his death a result of "institutional harassment." The incident has now cast a harsh spotlight on the role of the IPS Association, which is facing severe criticism for its three-day silence following the officer's death, only issuing a statement after significant pressure and backlash on social media.
Following the suicide of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, his wife, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, has submitted a detailed representation to the Haryana government and the Chandigarh Police, demanding justice. According to a resolution issued by the Haryana IAS Officers’ Association, Mrs. Kumar submitted her representation to the SHO of Police Station Sector-11, Chandigarh, on October 8, and to the Chief Minister of Haryana on October 9.
The IAS Association's letter also revealed that an FIR (No. 319/2025) was registered in the matter at the Urban Estate police station in Rohtak on October 6, under Section 306(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which pertains to the abetment of suicide by a public servant.
The letter explicitly demands a "fair, transparent, and impartial investigation" into the allegations mentioned in the FIR, which "led to this unfortunate incident." The IAS Association has also requested the Haryana government to provide all possible legal, institutional, and other necessary support to its member and her family.
While the IAS Association stood firmly with its member and promptly issued a detailed resolution demanding action, the silence from the IPS Association was conspicuous.
The unfortunate incident occurred on October 7, but for three days, until October 10, there was no official statement or social media post from the IPS Association's official handles. This silence did not go unnoticed, and questions began to surface across social media platforms.
Journalists and social media users started tagging the IPS Association, sharply criticizing its inaction. A post from the X (formerly Twitter) handle 'Bolta Hindustan' at 5:32 PM on October 10 quoted a journalist stating:
There is an organization in the country called the IPS Association. A Dalit IPS committed suicide. But surprisingly, their mouths have not opened yet!
Similarly, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister, Saurabh Bhardwaj, posted at 8:07 PM, calling out both associations:
Does the @IASassociation and @IPS_Association exist in this country, or have they been shut down? When it comes to playing politics for the BJP, statements and tweets come out immediately. But for the suicide of their own Dalit IPS officer and the fight for justice by his Dalit IAS wife, they are completely silent. Look at their reality - they haven't even posted a single tweet.
Sonal Goyal, a 2008-batch IAS officer, posted on X, expressing her grief and solidarity:
The untimely and unnatural demise of senior IPS officer Sh. Y. Puran Kumar Sir is an irreparable loss to the civil services fraternity and the country. May the departed soul get eternal peace. I stand with the Haryana IAS Officers’ Association and support their resolution on this matter. I also stand in solidarity with sir’s wife Smt. Amneet P. Kumar Ma'am, IAS, in this painful time.
She further added:
"No words can lessen the pain, but I pray that the grieving family find strength and courage to navigate through it. I strongly feel that the concerns raised by Amneet ma'am, deserve nothing less than a fair, transparent, and compassionate hearing and swift appropriate legal action must be taken against those responsible. Justice, in its truest sense, must not only be done but must also be seen to be done. As members of the society and civil services fraternity, we owe that much to him, to her, and to everyone who continues to serve quietly, often under enormous pressure, holding their integrity as their only shield. Satyamev Jayate"
After facing widespread criticism and mounting pressure on social media, the IPS Association finally posted a message from its official X handle late on October 10, at 10:41 PM. The post read:
"The IPS Association expresses its heartfelt condolences on the untimely demise of Shri Y Puran Kumar, IPS. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones at this difficult time. We stand firmly with the bereaved family and extend full support in this hour of grief."
The tweet, coming hours after the public outcry began, has only deepened suspicions about whether the association acted on its own accord or was compelled to do so to manage its public image. The incident has once again ignited a serious debate on alleged caste-based discrimination within the nation's elite services and the role these powerful associations play in times of crisis.
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