Rahul Gandhi to visit family of deceased IPS officer on Tuesday, politics set to heat up

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to pay a condolence visit on Tuesday evening to the residence of the late IGP officer Y Puran Kumar in Chandigarh. This visit marks yet another dramatic development in a case that has already roiled state politics and the police hierarchy.

Gandhi will arrive at 5.15 pm on October 14 and meet Amneet P Kumar, the widow of the deceased IPS officer. The family had refused to permit a postmortem examination or last rites until the arrest of Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur, ousted Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, and other officers named in Kumar’s “final note”, creating a week-long standoff.

The visit comes after a condolence letter from Sonia Gandhi was delivered earlier to the family, which spoke of the “biased attitude of those in power” and pledged solidarity. In the past week, scores of high-profile leaders have converged on the family home, amplifying public pressure.

Haryana and Punjab Chief Ministers Nayab Singh Saini and Bhagwant Mann, respectively, Congress MPs including Deepender Hooda and Charanjit Singh Channi, and national figures like Ramdas Athawale and Pawan Kumar Bansal have visited to offer support. Many viewed these visits as symbolic expressions of political stake in what is now more than just an investigation — it has become a focal point of accusations over caste, bias, and governance.

Rahul Gandhi’s presence signals a fresh escalation, underscoring Congress’ strategy to nationalise the high-profile case, projecting it not just as a tragedy but a political and social indictment. Already, Gandhi has publicly condemned the death, calling it a symbol of “deepening social poison” and linking it to broader caste injustices in India.

With his visit, Gandhi is likely to demand immediate action, press for an impartial inquiry, and push for accountability up to the state’s top police and administrative echelons. IGP Y Puran Kumar was found shot dead at his Chandigarh Sector 11 residence on October 7.