Puran Kumar’s suicide note demands an impartial investigation into his allegations of harassment against senior officers
Police reforms should be implemented to make the police accountable and free from political pressure
Lucknow, (Asian independent) In a press statement issued by the National Working Committee of the All India People’s Front, the suicide by Haryana IPS officer Puran Kumar is unfortunate. It further stated that Puran Kumar’s suicide note alleges continuous harassment by his superiors due to caste discrimination, and that his representations to senior officials in this regard were not investigated, resulting in mental stress and frustration, which forced him to commit suicide. It is well known that many employees and officers in the police department suffer from caste discrimination and communal sentiments. These prejudices are reflected not only in their interactions with the public but also in their behaviour and performance within the department itself, toward employees/officers of different castes and communities, and toward women. This fact is confirmed by various studies and complaints submitted by employees from lower castes to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission. In many cases, police discrimination is perpetrated based on caste and communalism under pressure from political and influential figures. It is also a well-established fact that if government policies are communal and biased, police behaviour becomes even more biased, as is evident in BJP-ruled states today. Therefore, caste- and community-neutral behaviour by the state is essential to ensure impartial police conduct. To achieve this, it is essential to implement police reforms to free the police from political pressure and give them freedom of action. The All India People’s Front therefore demands an impartial investigation into the allegations of harassment levelled against senior officials in Puran Kumar’s suicide note, punish them, and implement national-level police reforms to ensure police freedom and hold them accountable for illegal acts.
Issued on behalf of the National Working Committee of the All India People’s Front
S.R. Darapuri, National President, All India People’s Front
