Haryana cop’s death about Dalit dignity; urges PM, CM to act immediately , says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi met the family of Haryana police officer Y Puran Kumar, who was found dead last week, alleging caste-based discrimination behind his death. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to act and arrest the accused officers

Chandigarh: Haryana police officer Y Puran Kumar’s death is about the respect of all Dalits, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday, while asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to act immediately and arrest the officials responsible.

Addressing reporters after meeting the family of the senior police officer who was found with a gunshot wound in his Chandigarh home last week, Gandhi said there was systematic discrimination against Kumar to demoralise him and damage his career.

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His comments came hours after the state government late Monday night sent state DGP Shatrujeet Kapur on leave. Before that, the government transferred Narendra Bijarniya, former Rohtak superintendent of police.

The two are among the eight senior officers named in a final note purportedly left behind by Puran. He accused them of “blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities”.

Gandhi, who arrived in Chandigarh in the morning to meet Kumar’s wife, senior Haryana bureaucrat Amneet P Kumar, his two daughters, and other members of the family, pressed for the funeral to be held.

“My message as a LoP (leader of opposition) to the prime minister and the Chief Minister of Haryana is that the commitment you have given to these two daughters, you fulfill it and let their papa’s funeral take place and stop this ‘tamasha’.”

The family has not yet permitted an autopsy. “… end the pressure on this family,” he said, adding that there should be immediate action against the officials mentioned in the note. “You arrest them,” Gandhi said. Asked whether the family had given consent for a post-mortem examination, he said the family is giving a simple message. “And which is right. They are saying that they need respect,” he said.

He also accused Saini of not fulfilling his commitment to the family about holding a free and fair inquiry into the matter. “A tragedy has taken place. He was a government officer, and the Chief Minister gave personal commitment to the family that a free and fair inquiry would be held and action would be initiated in the matter.” The former Congress president, who was with the family for about an hour, said it was clear that the issue was not of 10 days or 15.

“For many years, systematic discrimination had been happening to demoralise this officer, to damage his career, his reputation.” The Congress leader said it is not only a matter of one family but of the respect of every Dalit brother and sister.

“The wrong message is going to crores of Dalit brothers and sisters in the country… that no matter how successful, intelligent or capable you may be, if you are a Dalit, you can be suppressed, crushed and thrown away. This is not acceptable to us,” said Gandhi.

He added that efforts were made to end Kumar’s career, prompting him to end his life. “Give him respect after his death. If you do not give respect, then it is not acceptable to us,” he said.

Kumar, a 52-year-old 2001 batch officer known for his interventions in matters related to the rights of officers and seniority and other issues, had recently been posted as inspector general, Police Training Centre (PTC), in Sunaria, Rohtak.

His wife is the commissioner and secretary of the Department of Foreign Cooperation, Haryana government. She was in Japan as part of a delegation led by the chief minister when Kumar was found dead on October 7.

Gandhi also referred a “false case being lodged”, alluding apparently to a liquor contractor in Rohtak filing a bribery case against a police constable. The contractor alleged that the head constable, Sushil Kumar, sought a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh in Puran Kumar’s name (when he was posted there). Sushil Kumar was arrested recently.