IPS Y Puran Suicide Case | Punjab & Haryana High Court Dismisses Plea For Transferring Probe To Independent Agency
The Punjab & Haryana High Court has dismissed the petition seeking transfer of the investigation into the suicide of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar to an independent agency, observing that there was no ground to doubt the ongoing probe by the Chandigarh Police.Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry noted, “ The learned Senior counsel representing UT Chandigarh Amit Jhanji...
The Punjab & Haryana High Court has dismissed the petition seeking transfer of the investigation into the suicide of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar to an independent agency, observing that there was no ground to doubt the ongoing probe by the Chandigarh Police.
Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry noted, “ The learned Senior counsel representing UT Chandigarh Amit Jhanji has apprised that 14 persons are arrayed as accused in the said FIR and and pursuant to the lodging of aforesaid FIR, statements of 22 witnesses have been recorded under Section 161 Cr.P.C. [equivalent to Section 180 of BNSS] and certain items seized, have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh and Phillaur, District Jalandhar, but reports thereof are awaited. Learned senior counsel has also informed that on 10.10.2025, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Inspector General of Police, UT Chandigarh has been constituted, which is looking after the investigation.”
The bench pointed that, on the last occasion, it had enquired from the counsel for the petitioner as to whether present facts and circumstances prevailing herein satisfy the guidelines laid down by the Apex Court while deciding the question of handing over investigation to an independent agency.
"Unfortunately, there was no satisfactory answer from the learned counsel for petitioner and not even a single judgment of the Supreme Court was read-over," the Court added.
The plea, filed by Navneet Kumar, President of a Haryana NGO, calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the officer's death, citing concerns over the impartiality of the ongoing Chandigarh Police-led inquiry.
Kumar reportedly shot himself dead at his residence in Chandigarh on October 7 and left a suicide note, blaming various officers including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and then Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya. He also alleged caste-based discrimination and harassment.
The plea stated that the death of such a high-ranking public servant under deeply mysterious and disturbing circumstances has sent shockwaves across the nation, eroding public confidence in the internal accountability mechanisms of the civil services.
The recovery of multiple suicide notes, one allegedly written nearly a month in advance, explicitly naming eight IPS and two IAS officers as responsible for his death, points to a grave possibility of systemic abetment, caste-based persecution, and criminal conspiracy within the very institutional framework he served, it added.
It was further submitted in the plea that, Chandigarh Police, which is presently investigating the matter, suffers from territorial, institutional, and administrative limitations, particularly as the deceased was a Haryana cadre officer and the UT Administration is closely intertwined with both Haryana and Central establishments. These conflicts of interest render the ongoing investigation neither impartial nor effective, alleged the petitioner
Mr. Vaneet Kumar Sharma, Advocate for the petitioner.
Mr. Amit Jhanji, Senior Advocate with Mr. Abhinav Sood, Mr. Varun Sandhu,
Mr. Sayym Garg and Mr. Mehndi Singhal, Advocates for Union Territory, Chandigarh.
Mr. Ravi Kamal Gupta, Advocate for respondent No.3/CBI.
Mr. Deepak Balyan, Addl. Advocate General, Haryana for respondent No.4/State.
Title: NAVNEET KUMAR V/S UNION TERRITORY OF THE CHANDIGARH AND OTHERS