Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 13 : AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed his condolences to the family of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who allegedly died by suicide due to harassment and caste-based discrimination, calling it "unfortunate proof of Dalits not being allowed to progress in the country".
"Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar died by suicide due to harassment and caste-based discrimination. He named many of his seniors in his 'final note.' My condolences to his family, especially his spouse. It is unfortunate proof that Dalits are not allowed to progress; even if they become IPS officers", Owaisi said in a post on X.
https://x.com/asadowaisi/status/1977684837046575367
Owaisi called for speedy justice, and for the state to suspend some of the officers as "interim confidence measures" and ensure that the integrity of the investigation is maintained.
"Everything must be done to swiftly bring the accused to justice. Lip-service won't do. Interim confidence measures - including suspensions - must be taken to ensure the integrity of the investigation", he said.
Puran Kumar allegedly shot himself at his residence in Chandigarh on October 7. In the 'final note' he left behind, he accused eight senior cops, including Haryana director general of police Shatrujeet Kapur, of "blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities."
However, the investigation into the death of the senior IPS officer Kumar hit a roadblock, as his family has yet to hand over the laptop reportedly used by the officer to type his 'suicide' note.
According to police sources, examination of the laptop, including fingerprint analysis and scrutiny of the officer's email accounts, is crucial for establishing the authenticity of the suicide note and understanding the circumstances leading up to his death.
However, since the family has not yet submitted the device to Chandigarh Police, concerns remain that valuable digital evidence stored on it could be at risk of being lost or tampered with.
Police officials have reiterated that the investigation cannot proceed without the postmortem report. Once it is received, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) will correlate the forensic and technical findings to decide on the next steps.
Sources revealed that if the family agrees, the postmortem will be conducted by a team of doctors from PGIMER, Chandigarh, in the presence of a ballistic expert, a magistrate, and family representatives, a demand also echoed by the family.
Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Police have reportedly gathered significant clues from call detail records. Sources said that before taking the extreme step, Y Puran Kumar made multiple calls to senior officers, his lawyer, and some acquaintances. The SIT is expected to question those individuals to determine whether any pressure, conflict, or stress during these conversations might have influenced Kumar's decision to end his life.