Chandigarh, Oct 13 (NationPress) Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, accompanied by Ravneet Singh Bittu, visited the family of the late Haryana Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Y. Puran Kumar today. During the visit, Athawale expressed his solidarity, stating, “We stand with them… action should be taken against both (the DGP and the former SP).”

Athawale remarked on the ongoing anti-Dalit sentiments prevalent in the nation. He shared that he met with the victim's family, who claimed that Kumar faced harassment from his superiors. “They indicated that someone else was at fault, yet the responsibility fell on Kumar,” he noted.

The Union Minister asserted that the Dalit community is outraged regarding the circumstances surrounding the IPS officer's death. “Even after 75 years of independence, the Constitution drafted by Bhimrao Ambedkar continues to be disrespected,” Athawale stated.

He also mentioned that he has requested a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to discuss the situation further.

“I met Y. Puran Kumar’s siblings—one residing in Hyderabad and the other in Mumbai. I also met with Amneet P. Kumar and her father. Y. Puran Kumar hailed from the Dalit community, and the family alleges he was subjected to casteist slurs and degradation for an extended period. They claim he was unfairly accused for the misdeeds of others. After considerable effort, he achieved a position in the IPS. The pressure he was under led him to take this drastic measure,”

he shared with the media after leaving Kumar’s residence in Sector 24.

“I assured the family of our support. There are serious allegations against DGP (Shatrujeet Singh Kapur) and former SP (Rohtak). Action must be taken against both,” Athawale emphasized.

Bittu also met with Kumar’s family. Post-meeting, he noted, “Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini discussed the case with me. The CM mentioned that the Haryana government will announce a significant decision regarding this matter.”

In a rapidly evolving political landscape, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, is scheduled to visit the residence of the deceased Haryana IGP officer Y. Puran Kumar in Chandigarh on Tuesday evening.

Seven days post the IPS officer’s tragic death, his body remains in the mortuary.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to arrive at 5:15 p.m. on October 14 to meet Amneet P. Kumar, the widow of the late IPS officer.

The family has declined to allow a postmortem or final rites until the arrest of Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur, ousted Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, and other officers named in Kumar’s “final note.”

Inspector General Puran Kumar reportedly took his own life at his Chandigarh residence on October 7, using his service revolver, leaving behind a “final note.”

The police officer has not yet been cremated, even a week following his suicide.

A stalemate persists between Puran Kumar’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, and the Haryana government regarding the arrests of DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya.

The victim's spouse, Amneet P. Kumar, a senior bureaucrat in the Haryana cadre, has written to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who has visited her home to express condolences, seeking justice for her husband.

The letter, labeled urgent and confidential, was sent three days ago and expressed her distress over what she termed a “grave injustice” and “complete administrative inaction” despite more than 48 hours having passed since her husband's death. In a nine-page “suicide note,” Puran Kumar allegedly accused nine serving IPS officers of the Haryana Police, along with a retired IPS officer and three retired IAS officers of “caste-based discrimination.”

The active officers mentioned included DGP Kapur and Superintendent of Police Bijarniya. Describing the incident as profoundly tragic, state Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Hooda remarked in Rohtak: “Our only demand is that those responsible should be held accountable. Ensuring justice is the government's obligation. The government must not shy away from its responsibilities.”