Chandigarh: Lok Sabha leader of opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (October 14) visited the residence of deceased Dalit IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar in Chandigarh to offer condolences to his wife and daughters.Gandhi, who paid floral tributes to Kumar and spoke to his family members, demanded immediate arrest of all those erring officials who were mentioned in the officer’s suicide note. He also said that Kumar’s reputation and career were “systematically destroyed”, and even after his death, the senior IPS officer’s family was under immense pressure.Kumar’s eight-page typed and signed suicide note – that was recovered following his death, allegedly by suicide, on October 7 at his residence in Chandigarh – had repeated references to ‘caste discrimination’, ‘mental harassment’, ‘public humiliation’ and ‘atrocities’.Later, addressing the media, Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to take immediate action against those accused. He warned against politicising the situation and said it’s time to “end this drama and give justice to the family.”He was accompanied by Haryana Congress leaders including Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja and Rao Narender Singh.Gandhi added that the issue was not just about one family. He said that a wrong message has gone to Dalits in the country.“And what is that message? No matter how successful you are, no matter how intelligent you are but you can be suppressed, you can be crushed, you can be thrown away. This is not acceptable to us,” said Gandhi after meeting the family of Kumar.“Look, the family is giving a simple message. We want respect. You disrespected our husband. You tried to end his career. He committed suicide. After his death, give him respect, and if you don’t give respect, that is not acceptable to us,” added Gandhi, when asked by the media if the family has agreed for the postmortem.He then went on to add that this is not just about the respect of one family. This is about the respect of every Dalit brother and sister in India, he said.“I am saying again, I am telling the prime minister, I am telling the chief minister: Take action as quickly as possible,” said Gandhi.‘Family under pressure, Haryana CM did not fulfil his commitment’Gandhi, who spent nearly half an hour with the family members of Kumar, said that the family of the deceased officer was under immense pressure after the officer’s death. Kumar’s wife and especially their daughters are heartbroken, he said.Gandhi added that from the facts of the case it is clear that the officer was facing harassment and systematic discrimination for years.“His reputation and his career were systematically destroyed. Three days ago, Haryana CM gave commitment to take action against erring officials and this commitment has not been fulfilled yet,” said Gandhi.He once again sent a message to the PM and Haryana chief minister, saying, “The commitment you have made to these two daughters, please fulfill it and allow the funeral, the father’s funeral, to take place.”“I want to give this clear message to the prime minister, and to the chief Mmnister of Haryana to stop this drama now. You should take action against the officers involved in his death so that pressure loomed over the family is lifted,” Gandhi added.Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi addresses the media outside the residence of the deceased IPS officer in Chandigarh on Tuesday (October 14, 2025). Photo: Vivek GuptaWhen asked about his comments on the Haryana DGP, one of the accused named in this case who has been sent on leave, Gandhi said, “Look, this is a sensitive case. A serving officer has died. There is another serving officer in the family. You understand, the country understands what kind of pressure they are under. Immediate action should be taken against these officers.”Earlier, in her complaint to the Chandigarh police, the late officer’s wife Amneet Kumar said that she had witnessed the years of humiliation, harassment and persecution inflicted upon her husband. She also stated her husband’s pain was not hidden and was explanatory from the numerous complaints filed by him (something he also referred to in his suicide note) as he endured caste-based discrimination.“My husband had reasonably learnt and intimated to me that a conspiracy is being hatched on the directions of DGP Haryana Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and he would be falsely implicated in a frivolous and mischievous complaint by fabricating false evidence,” she alleged in the complaint.In Kumar’s suicide note, he had named 11 top cops of Haryana including Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Kapoor for his death. Earlier on Monday (October 13) night sent director general of police (DGP) Kap00r on leave. Later on Tuesday (October 14), 1992 batch IPS officer Om Parkash Singh was assigned the additional charge of DGP Haryana during the leave period of Kapoor.If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation maintains a list of telephone numbers they can call to speak in confidence. Icall, a counselling service run by TISS, has maintained a crowdsourced list of therapists across the country. You could also take them to the nearest hospital.