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Haryana Police is in crisis after the death by suicide of a Dalit IPS officer and a Jat ASI, leaving behind explosive claims of caste bias, corruption and systemic oppression.
In his suicide note obtained by CNN-News18, Lather (left) also alleged that Puran Kumar (right) was a “corrupt policeman”. (News18)
On October 7, 2025, senior Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar was found dead at his official residence in Chandigarh. He was allegedly killed by a shot on the head with his service revolver. One eight to nine page typed document A “final note” titled “Final Note” was recovered from the scene, in which the officer accused several senior colleagues of harassment, caste discrimination and systemic oppression.
Exactly a week later, on October 14, the second blow came in the state: Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sandeep Kumar Lather, posted at the cyber cell in Rohtak, found dead Injured by bullet in a room near Ladhot village. He also left a handwritten note three to four pages long along with the 6.26-minute video message.
There are striking similarities between the two deaths, which occurred a week apart. Both officers were found with gunshot wounds to the head, and both left behind documents titled “Last Notes”. It is said that the manner in which he took his life was also similar. No one saw Y Puran Kumar shooting himself and no one saw Sandeep Kumar Lather killing himself.
In each case, the families initially refused to allow post-mortem examinations. Puran Kumar’s body was found at his official residence in Chandigarh, while Sandeep’s body was found in a room near an agricultural field in Rohtak. The matching circumstances and timing have added a layer of intrigue to an already inflammable investigation.
But while the manner of both deaths mirror each other, the content of their last words could not be more different.
ASI Sandeep Kumar, in his handwritten note and video, accused Y Puran Kumar of corruption and claimed that caste was being misused to avoid accountability.
What started as a tragic death has now turned into a full-fledged institutional, social and political crisis.
Who was Y Puran Kumar, and what was written in his suicide note?
Y Puran Kumar He was a 2001-batch IPS officer from the Scheduled Caste community. according to PTIHe was recently posted as Inspector General of Police, Police Training Center (PTC), Sunaria in Rohtak, Haryana.
On October 7, he was found dead in his Chandigarh residence. His family claimed that he faced years of mental harassment and systemic abuse. In the typed suicide note titled “Final Note”, Kumar named 12 to 16 serving and retired IAS and IPS officers, including Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujit Kapoor and Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarnia. The note accused her of caste-based discrimination, targeted harassment, denial of leaves and attempts to harm her career.
The note became the basis of an FIR lodged by the Chandigarh Police after Kumar’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, submitted a formal request and sought inclusion of provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. These provisions were added later.
As part of the investigation, police have found that Y Puran Kumar had made some calls in the last two to three hours before his death. Those he reportedly contacted included his lawyer, his wife Amneet P Kumar and Haryana DGP Shatrujit Kapoor, one of the officers named in his suicide note.
Investigators are working to establish what was discussed in that last call with the DGP. The police also plan to obtain complete call records to trace all the conversations of Kumar in his last moments.
What happened after Puran Kumar’s death?
Kumar’s suicide triggered a series of administrative and political shocks. DGP Shatrujeet Kapoor, one of the people named in the suicide note, has been sent on leave.SP Bijarania transferred. The Chandigarh administration formed a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations in the note.
Leaders of all parties reacted strongly. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the bereaved family and said, “This is not about the honor of one family. It is about the honor of all Dalits. A message is being given that no matter how successful a Dalit becomes, he can be humiliated and crushed.”
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and BSP MP Chandrashekhar Azad also expressed concern. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini promised strict action and said, “Nobody will be spared, no matter their status.”
After a long period of denial, the family agreed to the post-mortem after receiving assurances from the Chandigarh Police and Haryana Government of a fair and transparent investigation. In a written statement on Wednesday, Amneet P Kumar said she was allowing the post-mortem in the interest of justice, based on the state’s commitment to take action against any guilty officials and the UT Police’s promise of a professional and impartial investigation. He said he had full faith in the judiciary and authorities and expressed hope that a timely investigation would reveal the truth.
Who was ASI Sandeep Kumar and what did he allege?
On Tuesday, ASI Sandeep Kumar Lather, 41, of Jind’s Julana village and posted in the cyber cell of Rohtak, was found dead in a room near an agricultural field. The official version is that he died by suicide using his service revolver.
Kumar left a suicide note and a video message. He said he was “sacrificing his life for the truth” and alleged that IPS officer Y Puran Kumar was corrupt, not a victim of caste oppression.
In his words: “I am sacrificing my life for this truth. I am proud that I stand with integrity. It is important to wake up the country,” he said, adding that his family had a legacy of fighting for India’s independence.
He further alleged, “Y Puran Kumar took bribe to remove names of accused from serious cases like murder.” According to Sandeep Kumar, the IPS officers were involved in manipulating transfers and protecting corrupt officers by removing honest ones. “These people withheld files, called the petitioners and mentally tortured them by demanding money. Women policemen were sexually exploited in return for transfers,” he claimed.
The ASI also alleged that Puran Kumar had attempted to divert attention from the corruption investigation by citing caste bias: “This is not a caste issue. The truth should come out. He was corrupt,” Kumar said.
Sandeep praised SP Narendra Bijarania, named in the suicide note of the IPS officer, calling him an honest officer who was wrongfully removed.
Are the two cases connected?
Sandeep Kumar was part of the investigation into a corruption case in Rohtak involving a head constable named Sushil Kumar, who was allegedly caught taking a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from a liquor contractor, Praveen Bansal. The contractor had reportedly contacted Y Puran Kumar after being threatened by gangsters.
Sandeep Kumar claimed that Sushil had taken bribe on behalf of Puran Kumar. He said in his video, “The roots of his corruption are very deep. He has committed suicide due to fear of complaint against him.”
The ASI further alleged that Amneet P Kumar and others were “trying to sideline the DGP and other honest officers to continue their corrupt practices.” At the time of filing the report, Amneet P Kumar had not issued any public response to Sandeep’s allegations.
What is the political outcome?
The back-to-back deaths have exposed deep flaws in the administrative and political scenario of Haryana. On one hand, Puran Kumar’s death is being described as a horrific case of caste-based institutional oppression. On the other hand, Sandeep Kumar’s suicide has raised serious questions on the allegations of corruption and the political narratives built around them.
The caste angle is particularly sensitive. Puran Kumar was a Dalit. Sandeep Kumar belonged to Jat community. The share of Jats in the population of Haryana is about 27 percent, while Dalits are about 22 percent. The state has a history of caste-related violence, including the 2010 Mirchpur incident and the 2016 Jat quota agitation.
After the ASI’s death, his family refused to allow post-mortem or claim the body and demanded that a case be registered against those supporting Puran Kumar. Meanwhile, police have confirmed that forensic investigation is ongoing. The authenticity of the suicide note and video is also being investigated.
what happens next?
Both deaths are now under separate investigation. Chandigarh Police, along with the SIT, is investigating the note allegations of IPS Puran Kumar, while Rohtak Police is investigating the case of ASI Sandeep Kumar.
Although the postmortem has now been cleared, investigators face obstacles: delays in the forensic handover of digital data, political pressure from both sides, and the possibility of unrest if any narrative is deemed to have been suppressed.
Quoting a senior Haryana police officer Indian ExpressSaid: “Strict surveillance is being maintained and all steps are being taken to maintain law and order in the state.”
Karishma Jain, Deputy Editor in Chief, News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a wide range of topics including Indian politics and policy, culture and arts, technology and social change. Follow him @kar…read more
Karishma Jain, Deputy Editor in Chief, News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a wide range of topics including Indian politics and policy, culture and arts, technology and social change. Follow him @kar… read more
October 15, 2025, 11:36 IST
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