A week after IPS Puran Kumar’s suicide, Rohtak ASI shoots himself to death

Rohtak: In a chilling sequel to the suicide of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sandeep Kumar, posted with the Cyber Cell in Haryana's Rohtak, shot himself to death, jolting Haryana Police once again.

The officer allegedly shot himself dead on Tuesday afternoon at his maternal uncle’s house along Ladhaut Road, a semi-rural stretch on the city’s outskirts. His body was discovered in a small house built next to agricultural fields. Investigating teams recovered a four-page handwritten suicide note and a video recording he had made shortly before pulling the trigger.

In both, the ASI levelled explosive allegations against the late Puran Kumar and his gunman, Sushil Kumar. He claimed that Puran did not die by suicide because of stress or depression, but out of fear of public disgrace in an ongoing corruption investigation. “He was afraid it would tarnish his family’s political image,” Sandeep said in the recording.

Shock and suspicion
The timeline adds to the intrigue. On October 6, Rohtak Police arrested Sushil Kumar on charges of demanding bribes from a liquor trader. Barely 24 hours later, on October 7, Puran Kumar allegedly shot himself at his residence in Chandigarh, leaving behind a nine-page note accusing 16 senior IAS and IPS officers of harassment, caste bias, and institutional humiliation.

Now, just a week later, ASI Sandeep Kumar’s death has reignited the debate, raising questions about corruption, internal power struggles, and a possible cover-up inside Haryana’s policing hierarchy.

Video and its claims
In the 10-minute video, Sandeep Kumar spoke with an unsettling calm, his tone deliberate and his eyes steady. He begins by invoking freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, saying, “The price of truth is always heavy. Even Bhagat Singh had to sacrifice his life to awaken the nation.” From there, his words turn sharply accusatory. He alleged that the late Puran Kumar had entered into a ₹50-crore deal to protect one Rao Inderjit Singh in a murder case being handled at Rohtak’s Sadar Police Station.

Sandeep drew a comparison between Puran and another senior officer, Rohtak SP Narendra Bijaraniya, describing Bijaraniya as a man of integrity who lived within his salary and worked sincerely for his staff’s welfare. In contrast, Sandeep claimed, corruption flourished under Puran’s influence. According to him, once the IG took charge, officers were reshuffled along caste lines, and loyalists willing to collect money were placed in sensitive positions.

He further alleged that Puran’s gunman had turned bribery into an organised operation. Using his insider knowledge of case files and loopholes, Sushil allegedly extorted money from traders and citizens under investigation. Sandeep said that after Sushil’s arrest on October 6, the gunman confessed to having hidden bribe money inside the dashboard of a police vehicle, naming the driver, Dharmendra, as an accomplice. The officer claims this web of corruption was extensive — a parallel system that eroded public trust in policing.

As the video progresses, Sandeep’s tone shifts from accusation to resignation. He is heard claiming that Puran Kumar’s death was not an act of guilt but of fear — fear that his alleged corruption would be exposed and that the scandal would damage his family’s political and bureaucratic standing. “He saw the pot of sins overflowing,” Sandeep said. “When he realised his name would be dragged and his family’s politics would suffer, he chose to end his life.”

The ASI alleged that Puran’s wife, an IAS officer, feared the fallout of an investigation that might implicate her, and that even commissions where she worked had witnessed irregularities. He also claimed that Puran’s daughter had taken a share of the bribe money collected through the gunman. “He wanted to protect his family’s name,” Sandeep said, “but justice cannot be buried under fear.”

In the final portion of the recording, his anger turns towards what he calls a “bureaucratic conspiracy.” Sandeep alleged that an “IAS lobby” was working to remove the current Director General of Police (DGP), whom he described as an honest officer resisting corruption. “They want him gone so they can enjoy the cream of corruption,” he declared, accusing the lobby of sowing caste divisions within the force. “Bhagat Singh didn’t die for this. If he were alive today, he would be ashamed of how men like Puran Kumar are being glorified.”

Towards the end, his voice softens. He said he has lived an honest life, raised his children with dignity, and has no regrets. “I am not corrupt,” he says quietly. “I have lived within my means. But now I choose to sacrifice my life so that the truth can emerge.”

Discovery and investigation
According to officials, Sandeep was originally from Julana town in Jind district and had been working in the Rohtak Cyber Cell for about a year. He had visited his family in Julana over the weekend but did not report for duty on Tuesday. When colleagues failed to reach him, a call was made to the control room around 2 pm.

Police teams led by SP Surender Bhoria and ASP Prateek Agarwal, along with forensic expert Dr Saroj Dahiya, reached the location to secure the scene and collect evidence.

SP Bhoria described the deceased as “a hardworking and sincere officer” and said the force was “shocked” by the incident. “Verification of the note and video is part of the ongoing probe,” he told reporters, adding that all possible angles — professional, personal, and psychological — are being examined.

A force under scrutiny
The twin suicides have thrown Haryana’s law-enforcement machinery into turmoil. In less than ten days, the deaths of two serving officers — both involving service weapons, both leaving behind detailed accusations — have exposed the deep fractures of caste, hierarchy, and corruption in the police structure.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and Chirag Paswan have also visited the Chandigarh residence of IPS Puran Kumar.