Chandigarh- The death of a senior Dalit IPS officer in Haryana has exposed deep alleged fissures within the state's administration. 52-year-old Y. Puran Kumar was found dead at his Chandigarh residence on Tuesday, in a case that has escalated into a major controversy. The officer left behind an eight-page suicide note accusing 13 senior colleagues, including the state's top police official, of relentless "caste-based discrimination, public humiliation, and mental harassment" that he claimed pushed him to take his own life.

The officer's wife, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, who was abroad on an official trip, returned to India and immediately filed a police complaint against Haryana's Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapoor and Rohtak Superintendent of Police (SP) Narendra Bijarnia. She has alleged that her husband's death was not a suicide but a "planned conspiracy."

The Suicide Note: A Catalogue of Alleged Harassment

The eight-page note, titled *"Continuous and grave caste-based discrimination since August 2020, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation, and atrocities by concerned senior officers, which have now become unbearable,"* details a pattern of alleged systemic abuse.

Key allegations made by the 2001-batch IPS officer include:

1. Caste-Based Targeting: He was allegedly harassed for visiting a temple and denied leave, which prevented him from seeing his dying father one last time.

2. Posting to "Non-Existent" Positions: He claimed he was sidelined with postings to insignificant roles.

3. Malicious Proceedings: He faced "false and malicious" disciplinary actions based on anonymous complaints.

4. Administrative Ignoring: Despite repeatedly complaining to the highest levels, no action was taken.

In the final four pages, he named nine serving IPS officers, one retired IPS officer, and three retired IAS officers, detailing their roles in what he described as his "mental and administrative torture."

In her four-page complaint, Amneet P. Kumar stated, "My husband had told me that a conspiracy was being hatched under the instructions of DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor to frame him in a low-level and mischievous complaint by fabricating false evidence."

She alleged that just before his death, an FIR was registered against her husband's staff member, Sushil, at the behest of the DGP, and this ongoing attempt to implicate him was the "final harassment" that pushed him over the edge. She has demanded the immediate arrest of DGP Kapoor and SP Bijarnia under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (equivalent to abetment of suicide) and relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

While senior police officials have been unavailable for comment, a senior officer from Chandigarh Police confirmed the recovery of a "will and final note" and stated that a thorough investigation is underway. However, another senior officer dismissed the allegations as a reaction to the government's "crackdown on corruption."

A History of Confrontations: A Timeline

Puran Kumar had a long history of raising concerns against senior officers:

• August 2020: Then IGP Kumar visited a temple in a police station, leading to a questioning letter from the then DGP, which he called harassment.

• 2022: As IGP of Sirsa Range, he acted against an unauthorized temple construction within police lines, triggering an administrative probe.

• Feb-Apr 2023: Filed five complaints of harassment and humiliation against a senior IAS officer.

• Oct 2023: Wrote to the Chief Secretary, alleging he was posted as IGP (Home Guards) to "humiliate and harass" him.

• Apr 2024: As IGP (Telecom), he returned his official car, alleging discriminatory vehicle allocation among IPS officers.

• Mid-2024: Wrote to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, accusing the government of illegal promotions and discrimination against SC officers.

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining the suicide note, administrative complaints, and forensic evidence. Reports suggest that the officer's family is refusing a postmortem until action is taken against those named in the complaint, adding further pressure for a transparent and swift probe.