Cannot share probe documents without higher authorities’ nod: Rohtak IG to SIT probing IPS officer’s death

The inability to formally secure certified records from the Rohtak police, which registered an FIR a day before the officer’s death, is reportedly slowing the progress of the sensitive inquiry

The special investigation team (SIT) in Chandigarh, probing the death of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, is facing procedural hurdles in accessing crucial documents from Haryana.

The SIT considers these documents critical as the Rohtak FIR was filed a day before the IPS officer was found dead in Chandigarh on October 7. (HT)

The inability to formally secure certified records from the Rohtak police, which registered an FIR a day before the officer’s death, is reportedly slowing the progress of the sensitive inquiry. While the SIT has been granted temporary inspection access, the formal sharing of case records is pending approval from higher authorities in Rohtak.

Rohtak IG has told the SIT that the important case records sought in connection with the FIR linked to IPS officer Y Puran Kumar’s death cannot be shared without approval from higher authorities, though the SIT has been permitted to inspect them for now.

The SIT had issued a notice under Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to Rohtak IG, seeking certified records related to FIR No 0319/2025, daily diary report (DDR) entries, arrest proceedings of the IPS officer’s personal security officer Sushil Kumar, and correspondence exchanged prior to the registration of the case.

According to officials, Rohtak IG has informed the SIT that the documents form part of an ongoing investigation in Rohtak and require approval from higher authorities before they can be officially shared. However, the SIT has been permitted to inspect the relevant case record in the interim.

A senior Chandigarh Police official confirmed the reply, stating, “We have received records but some key details are remaining. We have been informed that approval is awaited for supplying the certified case records we requested. However, we have been permitted to inspect the concerned documents.”

The SIT considers these documents critical as the Rohtak FIR was filed a day before the IPS officer was found dead in Chandigarh on October 7. The officer’s family has alleged that the FIR was fabricated and acted as the immediate trigger that led him to take the extreme step.

The SIT has been examining whether the FIR was registered following due procedure, and whether there was any undue influence or external pressure behind the case.

One month on, probe advancing at snail’s pace

It has now been a month since the IPS officer’s death on October 7, yet the investigation has not seen substantive progress, nor have the statements of those named by the family been recorded. So far, the SIT has only examined police personnel, advocates and other witnesses to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the officer’s death.

However, sources in the investigation admit that the absence of case records from Rohtak is slowing down the probe. Officials said that without examining the original FIR documents, arrest memos, DDR entries and communication trail, the SIT is unable to proceed with the formal questioning or confrontation of key persons, including liquor contractor Praveen Bansal and former SP of Rohtak Narender Bijarniya, whose roles are under scrutiny.

A senior official privy to the investigation said that before summoning or interrogating these individuals, the SIT must have the complete documentary record to verify timelines, establish procedural lapses, or confront them with contradictions, if any. “The certified record is essential for evidence-backed interrogation. Without it, the SIT cannot move into the next stage of the probe,” the official said.

IPS officer’s wife meets SIT to seek update

IAS officer Amneet, wife of the late IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, on Friday met the SIT in Chandigarh to seek an update on the progress of the ongoing probe into her husband’s death. She requested the SIT to expedite the investigation and ensure that all relevant records are obtained at the earliest to facilitate a fair and complete inquiry.

Probe into IPS officer’s death stalls as Rohtak records remain inaccessible to SIT