Court Dismisses PIL on IPS Officer's Death, Backs SIT Probe

The Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a PIL for a CBI probe into IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar's alleged suicide, underlining the legitimacy of a Special Investigation Team already handling the case. The court highlighted the insufficiency of the petitioner's arguments for involving an independent agency.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the purported suicide of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar. The court considered the plea to be without merit and inconsistent with 2010 PIL Rules.

During Wednesday's session, Chandigarh Police informed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on October 10 to look into the case. Senior Advocate Amit Jhanji, representing the UT Chandigarh Administration, argued that the petitioner had filed the case based on newspaper reports, labeling it a 'publicity stunt,' with an FIR already registered on October 9.

Petitioner's counsel, Advocate Vinit, expressed concerns over the lack of progress by the SIT. Vinit noted that, despite naming 13-14 officers in the FIR, no action had been taken. In response, Advocate Jhanji said the SIT had interviewed 22 witnesses, with all statements documented on video, and that evidence, including CCTV footage, was secured by police.

Jhanji confirmed forensic data had been dispatched for analysis. The petitioner attempted to link the case with another alleged suicide in Haryana, but the court instructed the petitioner to focus on the current incident.

The High Court, after considering both perspectives, dismissed the PIL, stating no valid reasons necessitated transferring the investigation to an autonomous body like the CBI. The court confirmed the SIT's adherence to due process. On October 7, a senior IPS officer was found dead at his residence in Chandigarh with a gunshot wound, an eight-page 'final note,' and a will at the scene.

The officer's wife, Senior IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, accused Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor and SP Rohtak Narendra Bijarnia of discrimination and harassment, seeking FIRs against them. Kumar alleged her husband faced caste-based discrimination and psychological torment before his death.

(With inputs from agencies.)