Haryana IPS officer's 'suicide': Family gives consent, autopsy to be conducted soon, say police
Chandigarh (PTI): Ending an impasse over the autopsy of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who allegedly committed suicide here on October 7, his family has given consent to conduct his post-mortem examination, a police official said on Wednesday.
The development came a day after Chandigarh Police moved court seeking direction to Kumar's family to identify the body for post-mortem.
The family of the deceased officer, including his wife and IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, arrived at the PGIMER here on Wednesday to identify the body and complete other formalities, and the post-mortem will be conducted at PGIMER soon, the official said.
On police's plea, a local court had issued a notice to Kumar's wife to file a reply either personally or through counsel on October 15, failing which the application will be decided on merit.
Inspector General Y Puran Kumar, 52, allegedly shot himself dead on October 7. However, a post-mortem could not be conducted as his family refused to give consent until action is taken against the Haryana officers who have been named in a 'final note' of the deceased Dalit senior officer.
Chandigarh Police has constituted a six-member special investigation team to probe the case.
Amid opposition's attack and demand from Kumar's family for action against officers accused of harassing him, the Haryana government on Tuesday sent DGP Shatrujeet Kapur on leave, and given the additional charge of Haryana DGP to O P Singh, a 1992-batch IPS officer.
Last week, it had transferred Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya.
Kumar's body has been kept at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
On Tuesday, Chandigarh Police said it was constrained to approach a local court for direction to the family to come forward for identification of the body for the post-mortem.
Earlier, they requested the family through the investigating officer, the senior superintendent of police and inspector general of police for the autopsy.
In a statement on Tuesday, Chandigarh Police said that it is absolutely vital at this stage that the post-mortem be conducted at the earliest to preserve important forensic evidence and in the interest of justice.
Police had earlier said that a board of doctors was constituted for the autopsy in the presence of executive magistrate, ballistic expert, toxicology expert, forensic expert, and fingerprint expert with arrangements made for videography and photography.
An eight-page 'final note' purportedly left behind by Kumar accused eight senior IPS officers -- including Haryana DGP Kapur and now-transferred Rohtak SP Bijarniya -- of "blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities".
Kumar's wife had demanded that Kapur and Bijarniya be named in the FIR and arrested for alleged abetment of her husband's suicide.
Meanwhile, adding a twist to the suspected suicide of IG Puran Kumar, who served in Rohtak, an assistant sub-inspector in the district, Sandeep Kumar, allegedly shot himself dead on Tuesday, purportedly levelling corruption allegations against the late senior officer.
ASI Sandeep Kumar's alleged suicide came in the backdrop of the escalating row over Puran Kumar's death, which shook up the police top brass and raked up a political storm.
On Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Puran Kumar's family and called for the respect of all Dalits. He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Haryana government to take immediate action and arrest the officials responsible.
After Puran Kumar's suicide, several political leaders cutting across party lines had been visiting the family at their Sector 24 residence to offer condolences.
Many opposition leaders had been demanding action in Puran Kumar's alleged suicide case.
Members of several Dalit outfits and some opposition parties have staged protests at different places in Haryana, demanding strict action against the accused in the case.
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BJP, Opposition in war of words after Constitution Amendment Bill defeat
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP and the Opposition on Saturday engaged in a war of words over the issue of the implementation of women's reservation in legislatures, with Union minister Kiren Rijiju saying the parties which stalled the Constitution Amendment Bill will face the wrath of women.
The Opposition accused the government of delaying implementation by linking it with delimitation and using it to serve its political interests.
While the BJP termed the development a “black day” and accused the Congress and other opposition parties of betraying women, the Congress and its allies asserted that the quota law, passed in 2023, should be implemented immediately and accused the government of playing politics over it.
Parliamentary Affairs Minsiter Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of being anti-women, and said it will have to face their wrath across the country.
“They will have to face the anger of the women of the country. This is a black stain on the Congress and its allies, one that they will never be able to erase. This Bill was about giving historic representation to women—what objection could there have been?” he told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
"The opposition is celebrating after depriving women of their rights; women of the country will teach them a good lesson," he added.
Union minister Shobha Karandlaje targeted Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Opposition’s actions had undermined both women’s empowerment and regional representation.
“They have harmed south India as well, where seats could have increased by over 50 per cent. Women were supposed to get reservation, but they have been denied that opportunity. This has been done under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi,” she alleged.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of deceiving women and backtracking on their earlier stand. “They have betrayed the trust of women, and we will take this story of your deception to every citizen,” she said.
Swapna Verma, general Secretary, BJP (Madhya Pradesh) Mahila Morcha, said, “Congress and its INDI alliance have once again exposed their anti-women mindset. Despite the sincere appeal of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji for collective, and non-partisan support, those driven by political obstinacy chose to defeat not just a Bill, but the aspirations of an entire nation.”
Opposition leaders accused the government of delaying implementation and using the issue for political gain in Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the opposition is not against women’s reservation, but has objected to its linkage with delimitation. “We are fully in support of women’s reservation and would have happily passed the Bill on Friday itself. Our objection was not to reservation, but to linking it with delimitation,” he said.
Tharoor said delimitation raises “fundamental questions” about the country’s future and cannot be rushed.
“This is a very important issue for India’s unity and democracy. It requires serious, wide-ranging discussion -- not something to be decided in a two-day session.
Alleging political motives, he added, “This was a political game, not about women. Women were being used to serve short-term political interests. If the government brings a new Bill in the Monsoon Session without linking it to delimitation, we will pass it.”
"There must be a serious discussion involving all parties and states, especially in light of future Census data and the framework for a new delimitation exercise.”
Congress MP K C Venugopal said there is no disagreement on women’s reservation and demanded its immediate implementation.
“Their agenda was to link delimitation with women’s reservation, which has failed. They wanted delimitation according to their convenience, like in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir, by redrawing constituencies. That has failed.
“We demand that, without any delay, the 2023 women’s reservation law be implemented,” he said.
CPI(M) leader John Brittas alleged that the government’s strategy had been exposed in Parliament.
“The dubious and diabolical game plan of the government has fallen flat. They were using women as a shield to mislead the nation. If they have even an iota of sincerity, let them implement one-third reservation based on the present strength of legislatures,” he said.
“The opposition will jointly defeat any ulterior motives and designs of this government,” he added.
Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav questioned the legislative process and alleged political motives. “This historic Bill was already passed in 2023. Why was there a need to bring amendments again? Even after that, the earlier law was notified. So what was the need for discussion and voting?” he asked.
“The whole country knows this was done with elections in West Bengal in mind. When you knew you did not have a two-thirds majority, what was the point of bringing it? This shows there was a political angle, not genuine intent,” he said.
The Constitution Amendment Bill, which sought to operationalise women’s reservation and increase the strength of the Lok Sabha, was defeated in the Lower House on Friday as it failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.
While 298 members voted in favour of the Bill, 230 voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for passage.
According to the Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to operationalise the women’s reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. Seats were also to be increased in state and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
