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Row over IGP’s suicide: Political leaders accuse authorities of caste discrimination, seek justice
Among those who met the family were Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Congress MPs Randeep Singh Surjewala and Deepender Singh Hooda, former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, AAP leader Manish Sisodia, and Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad. Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari and Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee president HS Lucky also visited the residence of the officer on Saturday.
Leaders across political parties on Saturday visited the Chandigarh residence of IGP Y Puran Kumar, who was found dead earlier this week, to express solidarity with his wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, and their two daughters.
Among those who met the family were Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Congress MPs Randeep Singh Surjewala and Deepender Singh Hooda, former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, AAP leader Manish Sisodia, and Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad. Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari and Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee president HS Lucky also visited the residence of the officer on Saturday.
Chief minister Mann said the incident revealed how “the poor are still not allowed to sit in high chairs.” He criticised Chandigarh Police for not naming anyone in the FIR despite the family’s allegations. “Amneet told me she asked police from day one to register an FIR and conduct a post-mortem immediately, yet no one has been named. There is something suspicious here,” Mann said. He also met Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to demand action.
Channi called Puran Kumar “a voice for Dalits and backward classes,” saying the officer often raised concerns over denial of promotions and biased postings. He condemned the “disrespectful handling” of the body, claiming it was moved between hospitals without family consent.
Surjewala termed the case “a shocking reflection of systemic caste-based discrimination.” He said the IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus was “systematically targeted and denied dignity even after death.” “His body was moved without family consent, and his daughters were denied a final glimpse. This is not just insensitivity—it’s a crime,” he said.
Sisodia alleged that Puran Kumar faced caste-based harassment. “When Dalits reach top positions—be it an IPS officer or a Chief Justice—they are sidelined. What kind of India are we creating?” he asked, urging for “justice and transparency.”
Hooda said the family was “deeply dissatisfied” with the government’s response and demanded arrests of those responsible. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” he added.
Azad said the case had “shaken the faith” of Dalits and backward communities nationwide. “Today, neither the President, nor the Chief Justice, nor even an IGP is safe. The police took Puran Saheb’s body without the family’s permission,” he alleged.
