Rohtak/Chandigarh: In a dramatic escalation of the twin-suicide saga involving two Haryana police officers, the Rohtak Police on Wednesday filed an FIR for abetment to suicide and criminal conspiracy in connection with the death of ASI Sandeep Kumar Lather, who allegedly died by suicide a day earlier after accusing late ADGP Y Puran Kumar, a 52-year-old 2001-batch IPS officer, of corruption.
The FIR was registered just hours after Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini visited Sandeep’s family in Ladhot village and promised justice. The case has now evolved into a complex and politically sensitive investigation involving senior bureaucrats, political figures, and explosive allegations.
FIR Names Puran Kumar’s Wife, MLA Brother-in-Law, and Others
According to police sources and confirmed by media reports, the FIR (No. 305), registered at Sadar Police Station in Rohtak, names four individuals –
- Amneet P Kumar, wife of the late IPS officer and an IAS officer of the 2001 batch
- Amit Rattan, Bathinda Rural MLA and brother-in-law of Puran Kumar
- Sushil Kumar, Puran Kumar’s personal security officer (PSO), currently in jail
- One unnamed individual, whose identity has not yet been officially disclosed
The FIR was filed under Sections 108 (abetment to suicide) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint lodged by Santosh, wife of the deceased ASI Sandeep Kumar Lather.
Sequence of Events: From Corruption Probe to Two Suicides
The tragedy began to unfold on October 5, when Head Constable Sushil Kumar – PSO to Rohtak IG Y Puran Kumar – was arrested in a corruption case. Sandeep Lather, then posted in the Cyber Cell, was part of the team that handled the arrest and was probing links implicating Puran Kumar.
On October 6, a formal FIR was filed in the corruption case, which, according to family and insiders, acted as a trigger for Puran Kumar’s suicide the next day. He was found dead at his Chandigarh residence on October 7, having allegedly shot himself. His suicide note accused senior police officials of harassment and caste-based discrimination.
However, on October 8, Sandeep Kumar Lather released a video statement and a four-page suicide note before allegedly shooting himself. In his final message, Sandeep cleared DGP Shatrujeet Kapur of wrongdoing and blamed Puran Kumar for corruption, denying any caste angle to the case.
Political and Administrative Fallout
The case sent shockwaves through the Haryana administration. Public outrage and the refusal of both families to allow autopsies pushed the state government into damage control mode.
- DGP Shatrujeet Kapur, 1990 batch IPS officer, was sent on leave at midnight on Monday
- Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, 2015 batch IPS officer, named in Puran’s note, was transferred on October 10
- Puran Kumar’s cremation, delayed for eight days, finally took place in Chandigarh on Wednesday
- Sandeep’s family, who had preserved his body in a rented freezer, agreed to a postmortem only after the FIR was registered
Chief Minister’s Visit and Family’s Demands
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, accompanied by senior ministers Krishan Lal Panwar and Mahipal Singh Dhanda, met with the grieving family of ASI Sandeep on Wednesday morning. The family insisted on legal action against all named in the suicide note and demanded:
- Registration of an FIR
- A government job for a family member
- Financial assistance
The CM reportedly agreed to the demands, with officials later confirming that an FIR had been registered. Sources say that OSD Virendra Badkhalsa read the FIR contents to the family, leading to their approval for postmortem proceedings at PGIMS Rohtak.
Investigation Underway
The police have not yet released the full text of the FIR or the specific roles attributed to each accused. The investigation is ongoing, and officials say more disclosures will be made in due course. Meanwhile, the political ramifications of the case are still unfolding, especially with the involvement of an IAS officer, an MLA, and two deceased police personnel.
This rare case of dual suicides in law enforcement, tied together by corruption charges, caste claims, and institutional conflict, has triggered widespread calls for transparency, reform, and accountability in the state police system.
