Haryana IPS officer who spoke against caste discrimination found dead

October 8, 2025 by News Desk

Haryana IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, a 2001-batch officer, was found dead at his residence in Chandigarh on October 7, 2025. The incident occurred in a soundproof basement of his home, and preliminary reports suggest a gunshot wound as the cause of death.

A nine-page note and a will were recovered from the scene, though authorities have not released details about their contents, as per multiple reports.

The circumstances surrounding his death have prompted widespread concern and discussions about administrative pressures and caste-based discrimination in government services.

Kumar was widely known for his outspoken stance against caste-based discrimination and administrative irregularities within the police force. During his career, he repeatedly raised concerns about delayed promotions, unequal pay hikes, and postings that he felt were intended to humiliate Scheduled Caste officers.

He pointed out that officers from the 1997 batch received early promotions and pay revisions, while his own batch experienced delays, which he attributed to systemic bias against SC officers.

In late 2023, Kumar filed five complaints over a period of two months against a senior IAS officer, alleging harassment and humiliation. He sought intervention from authorities including the Chief Secretary of Haryana and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, requesting that an FIR be registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

He also objected to the constitution of a probe panel that consisted solely of retired IAS officers, arguing that it lacked representation from Scheduled Castes and did not follow the proper legal framework for investigating such complaints. Kumar insisted that any investigation should have been conducted by a police officer of the required rank, as mandated by the law.

In addition to his administrative struggles, Kumar’s former staff member, Head Constable Sushil Kumar, was recently arrested for allegedly demanding a ₹2.5 lakh bribe from a liquor contractor. During the investigation, Sushil claimed that he had been instructed to coordinate the bribe in the name of an officer, though Y. Puran Kumar was not named in the FIR.

The tragic death of Puran Kumar has sparked conversations about the challenges faced by officers who speak out against systemic discrimination. His family and colleagues have expressed concern that the pressures of harassment, discrimination, and administrative negligence may have contributed to his death.

This incident underscores the ongoing issues of caste bias and bureaucratic injustice within India’s civil services, raising urgent questions about accountability and the protection of whistleblowers in government institutions