File photo: Haryana ADGP Y Puran Kumar
CHANDIGARH: Haryana ADGP Y Puran Kumar (52), known as an outspoken IPS officer who flagged irregularities, including alleged caste bias, in his own department, was found dead from a gunshot to the head at his Chandigarh residence Tuesday afternoon. The incident happened a day before he was to take up his new assignment as head of Police Training Centre, Sunaria. Police said Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer, shot himself with his gunman’s service revolver in the soundproofed basement of his brother-in-law’s house in Sector 11. According to a police release, a will and nine-page “final note” left by the ADG were recovered along with the weapon. Sources said the note named a few serving and retired IPS officers but didn’t divulge its content.
His wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar – civil aviation secretary and commissioner & secretary, women and child development dept in Haryana govt – was in Japan as part of a delegation. Kumar took PSO’s pistol, saying he had ‘some work to do’ A native of Andhra, Haryana ADGP Y Puran Kumar belonged to the Scheduled Caste community. He held a BE-computer science degree and was an IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus. He repeatedly challenged his own department, not hesitating to move court, and had once complained against former Haryana DGP Manoj Yadava, accusing him of discrimination. He was last posted as IG-Rohtak Range before being transferred to the training centre on Sept 29. He went on leave and was due to join his new posting on Wednesday.Investigators are struggling to establish a timeline since the basement, which Kumar had converted into his office, was soundproof. So far, they have learnt that Kumar had asked his gunman to give him his service pistol around 1 pm Tuesday, saying he had “some work to do”, and proceeded to the basement. No one heard the gunshot – not his daughter, the securitymen, house staff, passersby, nor some labourers working at a plot nearby.About an hour later, when Kumar’s daughter went to the basement, she found him lying on the sofa, bleeding from the head. She alerted the security personnel and informed the cops. IG Pushpendra Singh, SSP Kaur and SP-city Priyanka rushed to the spot with the first responders. The house was sealed off, and forensic experts collected evidence. The on-site investigation was videographed, police said.Kumar and his wife have two daughters; the elder one studies abroad.
