Rohtak: In a disturbing turn of events, another Haryana police officer has died by suicide — this time an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) — barely a week after IPS officer Y Puran Kumar was found dead at his residence in Chandigarh. The two deaths, both involving allegations of corruption and harassment, have triggered widespread concern and a political storm in the state.
The ASI, Sandeep Kumar Lathar (41), a resident of Julana village in Jind district, was found dead on Tuesday inside a room in Ladhot village, near his posting station in Rohtak. He allegedly shot himself with his service revolver.
A 6.26-minute video and a “final note” purportedly left behind by Lathar have since gone viral on WhatsApp and social media. In the video, he reportedly accuses Y Puran Kumar—the Inspector General of Rohtak Range until shortly before his own death—of corruption, claiming he “took bribes to exclude names of accused from murder cases.”
When contacted about the viral material, Rohtak SP Surendra Singh Bhoria confirmed that forensic investigations were underway and details would be shared once authenticity was verified.
Lathar’s alleged message, invoking freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, claims he was “sacrificing his life for honesty” and that he could “no longer bear” the corruption he witnessed.
Connection to Puran Kumar’s Death
The new development comes just days after IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, a 2009-batch officer of the Haryana cadre, died by suicide, leaving behind a note alleging harassment and caste-based discrimination by senior officials, including state DGP Shatrujeet Kapur. His wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, also filed a complaint accusing top officers of tormenting him because he was Dalit.
While Lathar, from the Jat community, did not refer to caste issues directly, his video referenced a recent corruption-cum-extortion case in Rohtak. In that case, a head constable had allegedly named Puran Kumar as a beneficiary of money extorted from a local businessman. Lathar was reportedly part of the team that arrested the head constable, Sushil Kumar, after a complaint by liquor contractor Praveen Bansal.
In his purported “final note,” Lathar also accused “some IAS officers” of working with Puran Kumar to undermine the DGP and “continue their corrupt ways.”
Political Fallout and Public Outrage
The twin suicides have set off a major political controversy. On Tuesday, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi visited Puran Kumar’s family in Chandigarh, saying the tragedy had sent a “wrong message to Dalits that no matter how successful you are, if you are Dalit, you can be crushed.”
He described the case as “not just about one officer’s dignity but the respect of all Dalits.”
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini has promised strict action and said “no one will be spared,” regardless of rank or authority. The government has since sent DGP Kapur on leave while the case is being probed by Chandigarh UT Police, under sections including those of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Leaders across party lines—including Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, Chandrashekhar Azad, Congress’s Kumari Selja, and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann—have met the bereaved family, which continues to refuse post-mortem and cremation until action is taken.
Second Cop Suicide In Haryana Raises Alarming Questions About Corruption, Links To IPS Officer’s Death
