Haryana Govt relieves DGP Kapur of charge as IPS suicide investigation deepens

Two months after being sent on leave amid mounting controversy linked to the alleged suicide of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar , the Haryana government on Monday relieved IPS Shatrujeet Kapur of the charge of Director General of Police (DGP) . O P Singh , who had been holding additional charge during Kapur’s absence, has been appointed officiating DGP until further orders, an official notification said.

The state government is expected to forward a panel of senior IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for appointment of a regular police chief, as Singh, a 1992-batch IPS officer, is scheduled to retire on December 31. Kapur, a 1990-batch officer, will however continue as Chairman of the Haryana Police Housing Corporation, Panchkula. An engineering graduate, Kapur was appointed DGP in August 2023.

Kapur was placed on leave on October 14 following sharp political criticism over the handling of the alleged suicide of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, a 2001-batch officer, who was found dead at his Chandigarh residence on October 7 with a gunshot wound.

In an eight-page ‘final note’ purportedly recovered from the scene, Kumar accused several senior officers, including Kapur, of blatant caste-based discrimination, sustained mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities. The allegations triggered widespread outrage, leading the government to first transfer Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya before sending Kapur on leave.

The case is currently being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Chandigarh Police , which is examining the circumstances leading up to Kumar’s death. The SIT has recorded statements of multiple officers and officials named in the note and is scrutinising departmental records, postings, and internal communications. No chargesheet has been filed so far, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The probe is also assessing whether the allegations outlined in the note amount to abetment to suicide and violations under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) provisions , as demanded by the family.

Kumar’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar , has consistently sought a fair and time-bound investigation and accountability of those named in the note. Initially, she withheld consent for the post-mortem, citing concerns over the impartiality of the probe. She later agreed to the autopsy after receiving assurances from the Chandigarh Police that an independent and transparent investigation would be conducted, and from the Haryana government that action would be taken against any erring officials.

Amneet P Kumar has publicly stated that her husband was subjected to systematic harassment and discrimination and that justice would require not just an inquiry, but criminal accountability if the allegations are substantiated.

The case has snowballed into a major political and administrative crisis for the Haryana government, with opposition parties demanding an independent probe and questioning the conduct of the state police leadership. The removal of Kapur as DGP and the appointment of an officiating police chief underline the institutional impact of the controversy as the investigation continues to draw public and judicial scrutiny.