41-year-old Sandeep Kumar Lathar, a resident of Jind’s Julana village, was posted near Rohtak.
A week after Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Y Puran Kumar died by suicide in Chandigarh, another Haryana cop, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sandeep Kumar Lathar, has been found dead in Rohtak. His death has triggered serious questions about corruption and possible links between the two cases.
41-year-old Sandeep Kumar Lathar, a resident of Jind’s Julana village, was posted near Rohtak. On Tuesday, police found his body in a room at Ladhot village, where he allegedly shot himself with his service revolver.
A “final note” and a 6:26-minute video allegedly recorded by Lathar before his death have gone viral on WhatsApp and other social media platforms. The video blames IPS officer Y Puran Kumar for harassment and mentions “corruption in the system.”
When asked about the video, Rohtak SP Surendra Singh Bhoria said, “A forensic investigation is underway after which we will share more details.”
In the viral clip, ASI Lathar allegedly accuses Y Puran Kumar, who was the Inspector General (IG) of Rohtak Range, of taking bribes to remove names of accused persons from serious cases, including murder.
He says he could not tolerate the corruption anymore and was “sacrificing his life for honesty,” comparing himself to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
Lathar also referred to a recent extortion case in Rohtak, where a junior officer named Puran Kumar as the main beneficiary of money collected from a local businessman. The ASI had reportedly been part of the team that caught Head Constable Sushil Kumar based on a complaint from liquor contractor Praveen Bansal.
Earlier, IPS officer Y Puran Kumar had died by suicide at his Chandigarh home, leaving behind a note alleging harassment by senior officers, including DGP Shatrujeet Kapur.
His wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, also filed a complaint saying her husband faced caste-based discrimination because he belonged to a Dalit community.
Following the death, the Chandigarh Police registered a case under several IPC sections and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The death has turned into a major political issue in Haryana. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi visited Puran Kumar’s family in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
He said, “The incident has sent a wrong message to Dalits that no matter how successful you are, if you are Dalit, you can be crushed.” Gandhi added that the issue was not just about the IPS officer’s respect but about the dignity of all Dalits.
Meanwhile, the state government led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has sent DGP Shatrujeet Kapur on leave. The Chandigarh UT Police is now investigating both deaths, including the authenticity of the videos and suicide notes.
