Chandigarh, Oct 23 (IANS) Union Minister and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday met the family members of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, who died by suicide earlier this month. Additional Director General of Police Puran Kumar had accused senior officers of the police department of caste-based discrimination and blamed them for being the reason behind him taking the extreme step.

He met with IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, the wife of Puran Kumar, and offered his condolences.

The last rites of Puran Kumar were performed with the consent of his wife, Amneet, on October 15, after a nine-day stalemate over the post-mortem of the senior officer.

The impasse ended with the Haryana government’s assurance to the family of a fair and impartial probe, besides a commitment that action would be taken against “erring” officials.

Puran Kumar’s family members, his colleagues, comprising O.P. Singh, who has been given the additional charge of Director General of Police by replacing Shatrujeet Kapur, bureaucrats, politicians and scores of sympathisers attended the funeral here.

Following the family’s consent, an autopsy was carried out at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).

The PGIMER, in a statement, said the post-mortem examination of Puran Kumar was conducted on October 15 by a constituted medical Board following all due procedures. The post-mortem report will be submitted to the Investigating Officer of the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The police said Additional Director General of Police Puran Kumar shot himself with his service pistol and died on the spot. The officer left behind a nine-page final note that named 15 serving and former officers and put the state police’s top brass under the lens for casteism and bias.

Last week, Khattar had also met the family members of Rohtak Police cyber cell ASI Sandeep Kumar Lathar, who also allegedly committed suicide just days after Puran Kumar.

The Union Minister offered his deep condolences to the grieving family and assured them that the government would provide a job to Sandeep’s wife and monetary support for the education of the children.

–IANS

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