NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] has sought a judicial enquiry into the suicide of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who was found dead with a gunshot wound at his residence in Sector 11, Chandigarh, on October 7.
Party general secretary M A Baby, after meeting with the family of the deceased officer, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that a fair and transparent judicial enquiry would “reaffirm the country’s commitment to constitutional values and the protection of its public servants from discrimination of any kind.”
Expressing deep concern and anguish over the incident, Baby said it had sent shockwaves across the country and raised grave questions about the working conditions, accountability, and protection mechanisms available to officers belonging to marginalised communities within the police service.
“We demand that the Government immediately constitute a judicial enquiry headed by a Judge of the Supreme Court to probe the circumstances leading to Puran Kumar’s death. Further, we urge that all officials named by the late officer be immediately placed under suspension pending the outcome of the judicial enquiry. This is essential to ensure that they do not influence or compromise the investigation in any manner,” read Baby’s letter.
He further noted, “We trust that your esteemed office will treat this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.
“A fair and transparent judicial enquiry will not only provide solace to the grieving family but also reaffirm the country’s commitment to constitutional values and the protection of its public servants from discrimination of any kind,” Baby also wrote.
A delegation of the CPM visited the bereaved family members of the IPS officer on Tuesday.
Days after the death of the IPS officer sparked nationwide outrage, another case of suspected suicide of a police officer surfaced from Haryana, adding a shocking twist to the incident.
Sandeep Kumar, posted as an Assistant Sub-Inspector in Rohtak’s cyber cell, died by suicide on Tuesday after raising serious allegations against the slain officer, Puran Kumar.
“It is particularly distressing that Puran Kumar, a Dalit officer of exemplary service record, felt compelled to take such an extreme step. The tragic suicide of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student at the University of Hyderabad (HCU), and many similar cases of Dalit students and officers driven to end their lives due to unbearable caste discrimination and institutional harassment, highlight the deep-rooted systemic oppression that continues to plague our institutions,” the CPM leader also stated in the letter.
