**Chandigarh:** A day after Inspector General of Police (IGP) Y Puran Kumar allegedly died by suicide, controversy has erupted over the inclusion of his name—without the state government’s prior sanction—in an FIR lodged against his former aide. The aide is accused of demanding a bribe from a liquor contractor in Kumar’s name.
District Rohtak police arrested Head Constable Sushil, a former aide of IGP Kumar, on Monday. He was sent to judicial custody on Tuesday. Sushil was arrested for allegedly demanding a bribe in the name of the deceased IPS officer, despite Kumar not being summoned to join the investigation.
According to police sources, Sushil had previously worked with IGP Kumar during his tenure as IG, Rohtak range. Kumar reportedly continued to keep Sushil on his team even after Kumar’s transfer as IG, Police Training Centre, Sunaria, Rohtak.
The arrest stems from allegations that Sushil demanded Rs 2.5 lakh monthly from a liquor businessman, invoking IGP Kumar’s name. The FIR was filed based on a written complaint and video footage provided by the businessman. Police added that Sushil allegedly threatened the businessman by warning that failure to pay the bribe could result in implicating him in a liquor smuggling case.
Sources suggest this bribery case might have been one of the reasons that led Kumar to take the extreme step of suicide.
### Vocal Advocate for Officers’ Rights and Seniority
IGP Y Puran Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer, was known for his vocal stance on issues concerning the rights and seniority of officers. He frequently challenged the government on matters such as promotions granted to certain batches and the representation of Scheduled Caste (SC) officers in police ranks.
Though an official statement on Kumar’s suicide note has not yet been released, it is reported that the note mentioned several serving and former top IPS officers who allegedly “authorised” a campaign aimed at humiliating him.
Reports revealed that Kumar had written to Chief Minister Nayab Saini, expressing that his representations had been ignored, particularly those concerning himself and his batch-mates from the SC category. He also claimed that in the state home department, even routine files that did not require legal opinions were unnecessarily being sent for such reviews.
Kumar had reportedly filed five complaints alleging harassment and humiliation by a senior IAS officer. He objected to the formation of a committee comprising three former IAS officers tasked with probing his allegations.
### Allegations of Intentional Humiliation
In March 2023, while posted as IGP, Home Guards, Kumar informed then Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal that the position he was assigned was not a cadre post. He stated that the Home Department had told the Punjab and Haryana High Court the same year that the state government had never formally created this post. Kumar alleged that his posting was intended to insult and humiliate him publicly.
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This tragic incident has brought to light underlying tensions within the police department regarding seniority, caste representation, and internal politics. Further updates are awaited as investigations continue.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/uneasy-questions-arise-in-haryana-igp-y-puran-kumars-suicide-case