Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema meets with family of late IPS officer Puran Kumar

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], October 13 : Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday met with the family of IPS Y Puran Kumar, who allegedly killed himself after facing harassment from senior officials.

Puran Kumar allegedly shot himself at his residence in Chandigarh on October 7. In the 'final note' he left behind, he accused eight senior cops, including Haryana director general of police Shatrujeet Kapur, of "blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities."
Meanwhile, the six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the Chandigarh Police to investigate the case, has written to the Haryana Government, seeking the documents required for the investigation.
Earlier today, Congress MP Deepender Hooda also met with the family of the IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar.
Hooda emphasised the need for a fair investigation into the case, demanding strict action against the perpetrators.
"It is a serious matter. Justice should be done. There should be a fair investigation. A message should go out that no one is able to influence the investigation, as police complaints have been filed against top officials on the basis of the suicide note. Whomever is found guilty should be strictly punished, while the innocent should be exonerated. Congress stands with justice," he said.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the death of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar has hit a roadblock, as his family has yet to hand over the laptop reportedly used by the officer to type his 'suicide' note.
According to police sources, examination of the laptop, including fingerprint analysis and scrutiny of the officer's email accounts, is crucial for establishing the authenticity of the suicide note and understanding the circumstances leading up to his death.
Investigators said that to move the probe forward, the postmortem must first be conducted officially. Only after receiving the postmortem report can it be conclusively determined whether the case is indeed a suicide or involves other factors. The report will also serve as vital evidence when the police present the case in court.
The laptop is considered essential in identifying the recipients of Kumar's emails and the context in which they were sent. Once the laptop is obtained, forensic experts will examine the fingerprints on it to verify whether Y Puran Kumar indeed authored the typed suicide note.
However, since the family has not yet submitted the device to Chandigarh Police, concerns remain that valuable digital evidence stored on it could be at risk of being lost or tampered with.
Police officials reiterated that the investigation cannot proceed without the postmortem report. Once it is received, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) will correlate the forensic and technical findings to decide on the next steps.
As per legal provisions, if the deceased's family withholds consent for the postmortem, police are empowered to conduct the procedure in the presence of a magistrate to preserve crucial evidence.
Sources revealed that if the family agrees, the postmortem will be conducted by a team of doctors from PGIMER, Chandigarh, in the presence of a ballistic expert, a magistrate, and family representatives, a demand also echoed by the family.
The ballistic examination is particularly important to determine whether the bullet and cartridge recovered from the scene were fired from the same weapon used by the IPS officer.
However, over six days have passed since the incident, and the body has begun decomposing, which experts say could make it difficult to retrieve key forensic samples such as gunpowder residue.
Traces of gunpowder on the body and clothing are vital for determining the firing range and confirming the manner of death. Delay in the postmortem could make it nearly impossible to recover this evidence.
Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Police have reportedly gathered significant clues from call detail records. Sources said that before taking the extreme step, Y. Puran Kumar made multiple calls to senior officers, his lawyer, and some acquaintances. The SIT is expected to question those individuals to determine whether any pressure, conflict, or stress during these conversations might have influenced Kumar's decision to end his life.