Khap panchayats seek judicial inquiry into IPS officer’s death

Two prominent khap panchayats of Jind district — Majra Khap and Kandela Khap — have demanded a judicial inquiry under a sitting judge into the death of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, whose suicide has triggered widespread outrage across Haryana’s administrative and political circles.

The Majra Khap Panchayat, chaired by Gurvinder Singh Sandhu, passed a condolence resolution praying for peace of the departed soul and blamed the state government for “mishandling” the matter. Khap leaders alleged that official indecision had aggravated the situation.

“The state government is dithering on the issue, which seems to be complicating the whole matter,” said khap activist Gurvinder Singh Sandhu, urging the authorities to “take immediate measures to control the prevailing situation.”

Khap leaders Gurvinder Singh Sandhu and Mahender Singh Saharan said the late IPS officer had named several individuals in his suicide note, yet no concrete action had been taken. “The government is trying to protect powerful officials,” they alleged.

Majra Khap spokesperson Samundar Singh Phor demanded the formation of a judicial committee headed by a sitting judge with a fixed time frame for its report. He appealed for calm, stating, “The guilty should not be spared and the innocent should not suffer.”

Similarly, the Kandela Khap Panchayat, chaired by Om Prakash Kandela, also passed a resolution expressing grief and called for a time-bound judicial probe monitored by a sitting judge. The khap leaders accused the government of shielding senior police officials, including the DGP.

“There appears to be collusion between senior officers and the ruling dispensation,” said Kandela Khap leaders, questioning the government’s “inaction” despite clear names mentioned in the suicide note.

Both khaps expressed solidarity with the bereaved family, noting that the family had been sitting with the officer’s body for several days awaiting action. “The state should not hesitate to order a judicial probe,” the resolutions concluded.