CPI(M) seeks judicial probe into Dalit IPS officer’s death

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary M.A. Baby has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing deep anguish over the death of Y. Puran Kumar, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, who allegedly died by suicide after citing caste-based harassment by senior officials.

In his letter, Mr. Baby described the incident as “tragic and deeply disturbing”, and said it raised serious concerns about the institutional safeguards available to officers from marginalised communities. 

Drawing parallels with the suicide in 2016 of the University of Hyderabad Ph.D. scholar Rohith Vemula, and other similar cases, Mr. Baby said the incident reflected the systemic oppression faced by Dalits in public institutions. He said a CPI(M) delegation had met the late police officer’s bereaved family in Chandigarh and heard their account, which underscored the need for an independent and transparent investigation.

The CPI(M) has demanded the constitution of a judicial enquiry headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge to probe the circumstances surrounding Kumar’s death, and allegations of caste-based harassment. The party also called for the immediate suspension of all officials named by the late officer to prevent any interference in the investigation.

“A fair and transparent enquiry is essential not only to deliver justice to the family but also to uphold Constitutional values, and protect public servants from discrimination,” Mr. Baby wrote.

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