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Haryana CM meets family of Rohtak ASI, promises action
ASI Sandeep Lathar’s family says won’t give consent for autopsy until FIR registered against IG Puran Kumar’s family.
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday met family members of assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Sandeep Lathar, who allegedly died by suicide at Ladhot village in Rohtak on Tuesday evening, and assured them of “appropriate action”.
ASI Lathar, 41, who was posted in the cyber cell in Rohtak, allegedly shot himself dead in a relative’s makeshift room along the Ladhot-Dhamar road in Rohtak on Tuesday, leaving behind a “final note” and a six-minute video in which he levelled corruption allegations against late IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who also served in the district, and his family members.
Kumar, 52, who had been posted as inspector general, Police Training Centre in Rohtak’s Sunaria on September 29, had allegedly shot himself dead at his Sector 11 Chandigarh residence on October 7. Lathar, who belonged to the Jat community, claimed he had “ample evidence” against Kumar, a Dalit.
A day before Kumar died, Lathar was part of the Rohtak CIA-2 team that intercepted and arrested the late IGP’s associate Sushil Kumar, an exemptee assistant sub inspector (an ASI who has been exempted from certain duties), following a complaint by liquor contractor Praveen Bansal.
On Wednesday, chief minister Saini, accompanied by state ministers Mahipal Dhanda and Krishan Lal Panwar and senior BJP leader Manish Grover reached Ladhot to express condolences. Though Saini did not speak to the media, an official statement in Hindi said that he has assured the family of “appropriate action”.
Sandeep Lathar’s cousin Sanjay Deswal urged the chief minister to order a fair inquiry and register an FIR on the basis of his brother’s final note. He also sought that the last rites be conducted with full state honours. He said the family would not give consent for the autopsy until an FIR is registered against Puran Kumar’s family.
Saini and the two ministers met the ASI’s wife and children separately and assured them of a fair probe.
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Sunaina Chautala, Jannayak Janata Party student wing INSO chief Pradeep Deswal, former Aam Aadmi Party state president and activist Naveen Jaihind were among those who met the ASI’s family to offer condolences.
No Congress leader called on the bereaved family.
The ASI’s death came hours after the Haryana government sent state DGP Shatrujeet Kapur on leave and assigned the additional charge of police chief to OP Singh, a 1992-batch officer, during Kapur’s leave period. Earlier, the government had transferred Rohtak superintendent of police Narendra Bijarniya.
Kapur and Bijarniya were among the eight officials named by Puran Kumar in his “final note”, which pointed to “blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities”.
IG Kumar’s name had cropped up in a bribery case after liquor contractor Praveen Bansal’s complaint against Sushil Kumar. The contractor alleged that Sushil Kumar sought ₹2.5 lakh in the name of Puran Kumar when he was posted in Rohtak. In the letter and video, Lathar claimed that IG Kumar had ended his life “to avoid family humiliation”.
The Chandigarh Police have constituted a six-member special investigation team to probe the death of Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer.
