Haryana IPS officer’s death: Shatrujeet Kapur relieved from DGP charge

Two months after being sent on leave amid a controversy over IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar’s death, the Haryana government has relieved IPS Shatrujeet Kapur from the charge of Director General of Police.

O.P. Singh, who was given the additional charge as state police chief during Mr. Kapur’s absence, has been appointed as officiating DGP till further orders.

The Haryana government is likely to send a panel of senior IPS officers’ names to the Union Public Service Commission to appoint a new state police chief, as Mr. Singh, a 1992-batch IPS officer, is due to retire on December 31.

Mr. Kapur, a 1990-batch IPS officer, will continue to hold the charge of chairman of Haryana Police Housing Corporation, Panchkula, according to an official order. An engineering graduate, Mr. Kapur was appointed the state police chief in August 2023.

On October 14, Mr. Kapur went on leave amid mounting criticism from opposition parties over IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar’s death. Mr. Singh was then given the additional charge of DGP.

Mr. Kumar (52), a 2001-batch IPS officer, was found dead on October 7.

In an eight-page note purportedly left behind by him, Kumar accused multiple senior officers, including Shatrujeet Kapur, of “blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities”.

Amid pressure from the political parties, the Haryana government first shunted out Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya and later sent Shatrujeet Kapur on leave.

Kumar’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, gave consent for post-mortem a week after the death after receiving assurance from Chandigarh Police that a fair probe would be conducted and a commitment from the Haryana government that action would be taken against any “erring” officials.