In FIR, ASI’s wife alleges political, administrative pressure behind suicide

Haryana ASI Sandeep Lathar's wife alleges he died by suicide due to pressure from IAS officer Amneet P Kumar and her family over corruption claims.

Haryana assistant sub-inspector Sandeep Lathar’s wife Santosh Devi in the FIR registered with Rohtak Sadar police station has alleged that Sandeep ended his life due to “political and administrative pressure” mounted by IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, her brother Amit Rattan, a law-maker from Punjab, on the state government following the death of her husband, late inspector general of police (IGP) Y Puran Kumar, who died by suicide in Chandigarh on October 7.

She alleged that Y Puran Kumar’s family had demanded action against honest officers to halt the ongoing vigilance enquiry and they were expecting a “big position with pressure tactics”. (File)

Lathar, 41, who was posted in the cyber cell in Rohtak, was found dead from a gunshot wound in Rohtak’s Ladhot village on October 14. A suicide note and a six-minute video found with his body reportedly accused Kumar and his family members of corruption. 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.

Haryana police officials had said that Y Puran Kumar’s act of taking his life probably has genesis in an FIR registered at Urban Estate police station in Rohtak against Sushil Kumar, who was booked for taking illegal gratification from Bansal.

The then Rohtak superintendent of police Narendra Bijarniya (now shifted out) had said that an exemptee assistant sub inspector (EASI) Sushil Kumar was demanding ₹2.5 lakh from a liquor contractor on behalf of Puran Kumar who till a week back was posted as inspector general of police, Rohtak range.

An FIR was registered against IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, her brother and Bathinda (rural) MLA Amit Rattan, exemptee assistant sub-inspector Sushil Kumar and another cop Sunil, posted at IG office in Rohtak on charges of abetment to suicide and acts done by several persons in furtherance with common intention on October 15, on the complaint of Lather’s wife, Santosh.

A copy of the FIR is with HT.

Santosh, in the FIR, said that her husband was part of a team that arrested Y Puran’s gunman Sushil Kumar and later a case was registered at Urban estate in Rohtak.

“Even before and after registration of the FIR (against Sushil), all the accused were mounting pressure on my husband as he was part of the case. The police had to arrest the other accused in that case. Due to this, Y Puran Kumar committed suicide and later his wife and brother-in-law did not give consent for the autopsy. They started mounting pressure on the government to arrest the honest officers. A vigilance enquiry was ongoing against Y Puran Kumar, his wife and some other corrupt officers and the government had to take action against them,” she said in FIR.

She alleged that Y Puran Kumar’s family had demanded action against honest officers to halt the ongoing vigilance enquiry and they were expecting a “big position with pressure tactics”. “For almost a week before taking the extreme step, my husband told me that honest officers and employees have no place in the police. I tried to console him many times but he said that honesty has no respect and he lost faith in the system. My husband was harassed by employees posted at IG office Rohtak, IAS Amneet P Kumar, her brother Amit Rattan and other relatives holding higher ranks in the SC commission. My husband has ended his life and it’s a fight between corrupt and honest officers. I spotted the suicide note near his body,” she added.

The ASI’s wife demanded a CBI probe into the matter and investigate property of her family and their family (Y Puran’s family and other two accused).