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Why Haryana IPS officer Puran Kumar's body remains in mortuary almost a week after death | Row explained
Body was shifted to Chandigarh PGI by the police, allegedly without the consent of the deceased IPS officer Y Puran Kumar’s family
Six days after he allegedly died by suicide, the body of senior Haryana IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar is still in the mortuary of Chandigarh’s Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
The body was shifted to PGI by the police, allegedly without the consent of Kumar’s family. He died, allegedly by suicide, on October 7 at his Chandigarh residence.
According to a report by The Print, Kumar’s family has refused to give consent for a postmortem till DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and now-transferred Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya are arrested. Both officers were accused by Kumar of harassing him in the “final note” he left behind, based on which his wife filed the police complaint.
The Haryana government has been trying to persuade the family to allow the post-mortem. In the latest bid, state cabinet ministers Krishan Lal Panwar and Krishan Bedi, both belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, visited Kumar's wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar’s residence on Saturday. However, the family reportedly insisted that their demands be met. CM Nayab Singh Saini also met the IAS officer at her residence.
Neither the family nor the Haryana government has revealed what was discussed. But reports suggest that Kumar's eldest daughter was offered a DSP post, while the ministers also offered to send the DGP on leave for 10 days and appoint someone else to officiate in the interim. The offers were reportedly rejected.
“Offering the post of DSP to the deceased IPS officer is nothing new, since it is part of the Haryana government’s ex gratia policy and there are several instances of such appointments to the Haryana Police Service or the Haryana Civil Service on this basis,” the source quoted in the Print report said.
FIR amended after wife’s objection
The police amended the FIR it registered on October 10 after deceased IPS officer Y Puran Kumar’s wife objected to the “diluted sections” added to it.
Amneet P Kumar, a senior Haryana IAS officer, wrote to the Chandigarh senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur, questioning “incomplete information” in the first information report and demanding it be corrected “to accurately reflect the names of all accused.”
Amneet also sought that “diluted sections of the SC/ST Act” that have been added in the FIR be amended.
Chandigarh IG Pushpendra Kumar, who is heading a six-member SIT in the 'suicide' case, confirmed to news agency PTI on Sunday that Section 3 of the SC/ST Act has been invoked in the FIR.
What is section 3 of the SC/ST Act?
Section 3 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, defines and lists various offences of "atrocities" that are punishable.
The section also prescribes punishments for individuals who are not members of the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe and commit these acts against a member of the SC/ST community.
