Why Is the IPS Association Silent on Y. Puran Kumar's Suicide? Inside the Haryana FIR That Implicates IPS Officers in Caste Harassment

Chandigarh – The suicide of IGP Y. Puran Kumar, a 52-year-old 2001-batch IPS officer from the Haryana cadre, has not only shattered a family but exposed a rift deep within India's premier police service. Found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot in his Sector-11 residence on October 7, Kumar left behind a nine-page handwritten note that meticulously accuses several serving and retired officials, predominantly from the IPS, of orchestrating a four-year campaign of caste-based discrimination, public humiliation, and targeted mental harassment.

Chandigarh Police on Thursday registered a first information report (FIR)  against those accused of harassment in the ‘final note’ left by the deceased. Among them: the state's sitting Director General of Police (DGP), multiple Additional DGPs, and former DGPs. This unprecedented FIR against such a constellation of high-ranking officers marks Haryana's first instance of such sweeping action against the administrative and police elite, as per police sources. Yet, the IPS Officers Association- the national body representing over 5,000 members, remains eerily silent, issuing no statement of condolence, no call for inquiry, and no defense of its tainted ranks.

The section 108 BNS provides imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine for those found guilty of abetting a suicide. It is a cognisable offence and non bailable.

Is this hush born of self-preservation, as the allegations ensnare so many of their own? A surge of X posts suggest the fraternity's quietude stems directly from the note's explosive scope, turning a brother's tragedy into an institutional minefield.

The Note's Indictment: A Roll Call of the Accused

Recovered from beneath a table in the soundproof basement where Kumar took his life, the note, emailed in part as a will to his wife, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, chronicles a "sustained conspiracy" since August 2020. It alleges the officers denied him rightful postings, initiated false inquiries, withheld entitlements like arrears and housing, withdrew his official vehicle, and assigned him to "non-existent posts" to demean his Dalit identity. "These actions have broken me irreparably," Kumar wrote, naming each perpetrator with specificity.

Chandigarh Police's FIR No. 156, registered on October 9 under Section 108 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (abetment to suicide) and Section 3(1)(r) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, books "all those" implicated, confirming 11 names. While Amneet on Friday, has pointed out that the FIR did not clearly list the accused: "The names of the accused persons have not been mentioned clearly, and the document lacks the necessary details required for a fair and transparent probe."

She further emphasized that two individuals named in her complaint and the final note "(1) (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur (2) Narendra Bijarniya (Rohtak SP)" were missing from the relevant sections of th FIR: "As per my complaint, the names of the accused... have not been entered in the FIR, that was trigger point for his suicide."

Calling for correction in the procedural documentation, she stated: "As per the prescribed FIR document format, all the accused should be clearly listed under Columns No 7. It is therefore requested that the FIR be amended to accurately reflect the names of all accused individuals in the proper section."

She also asked for a review of the SC/ST Act sections applied in the case: "The diluted sections... should be amended in the FIR to reflect the appropriate section."

Among the accused are Shatrujeet Singh Kapur, IPS (DGP, Haryana): The note brands him the "trigger point," accusing him of directing a false FIR against Kumar's staff just hours before the suicide, amid a broader plot of fabricated complaints and biased probes.

Amitabh Dhillon, IPS (ADGP, 1997 batch): Alleged architect of systematic discrimination, including delays in appraisals and postings to humiliate.

Sanjay Kumar, IPS (ADGP, 1997 batch): Implicated in the same pattern of mental harassment and caste-laced bias.

Pankaj Nain, IPS (IGP, 2007 batch): Named for contributing to the "targeted" denial of entitlements and public shaming.

Kala Ramachandran, IPS (1994 batch): Accused of enabling false proceedings and withdrawal of perks.

Sandeep Khirwar, IPS (former CP, Gurugram, 1995 batch): Linked to harassment during his Gurugram tenure, including biased inquiries.

Sibash Kabiraj, IPS (former JCP, Gurugram, 1999 batch): Part of the alleged conspiracy in Gurugram postings.

Manoj Yadav, IPS (former DGP Haryana, 1988 batch): Blamed for initiating early harassment waves post-2020.

P.K. Agrawal, IPS (former DGP, retired): Accused of perpetuating the discriminatory environment in retirement oversight roles.

Narendra Bijarniya, IPS (SP, Rohtak): Co-"trigger" with the DGP, for recent escalations like the Urban Estate false FIR.

T.V.S.N. Prasad, IAS (former Chief Secretary, Haryana, retired): The lone IAS in the list, named for administrative complicity in the bias.

Of these, nine are IPS officers, spanning active duty to retirees, forming a web that touches every layer of Haryana's police hierarchy. Sources confirm this is Haryana's first FIR targeting such a breadth of top brass simultaneously, amplifying the shockwaves. Amneet, refusing last rites until arrests, has written to Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur: "The FIR must reflect all names accurately... this dilution shields the guilty." No arrests as of October 10, but pressure mounts, with DGP Kapur facing potential leave amid replacement talks.

The Fraternity's Paralysis: When Allegations Hit Too Close to Home

The IPS Association's silence, no tweet from @IPS_Association, no press note from its Haryana chapter, stands in stark contrast to its history of vocal support in officer crises. Precedents abound: swift condemnations in custodial death rows or assault cases. Here, the note's IPS-centric accusations create an untenable bind. With the DGP, two ADGPs, an IGP, and multiple batchmates implicated, any utterance risks fracturing the "collegial ethos" the body enshrines. Insiders, quoted anonymously in reports, whisper of "conflict paralysis": condemning the accused could invite reprisals, while supporting Kumar alienates the power center. "It's a family feud spilling public, silence is the only neutral ground," one retired officer told a media house. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes' suo motu probe adds heat, but the association's void fuels speculation that self-interest trumps solidarity.

This theory gains traction on X, where users dissect the hush as complicity born of the list's length. Journo Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) set the tone: "No tweet from the @IPS_Association. Radio silence from the IPS community. The pathetic, spineless state of Indian police…."

Rofl Gandhi 2.0 (@RoflGandhi_), October 9: "Hello @IPS_Association FYI: Haryana IGP Puran Kumar shot himself dead and named several IPS officers in his suc!de note hinting harassment & corruption. Please break the silence & raise your voice for the justice in this case of a fellow IPS officer."

Pramod Sharma (@capksharma), October 9: Replying to journalist Rohini Singh's lament on the "radio silence from the IPS community," Sharma thundered: "The IPS Association’s deafening silence on Y Puran Kumar’s suicide—amid caste bias and harassment claims—is a betrayal of justice! A senior officer’s death screams systemic rot, yet you cower. Step up, or your cowardice stains the badge forever. #Silence #IPS #JusticeForPuranKumar."