'Deeply hurt and distraught': Kharge writes to wife of Haryana IPS officer who committed suicide

New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has written to IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, the wife of Haryana IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, who died by suicide, extending support in her pursuit of justice and describing the tragedy as one that stemmed from "bias and discriminatory attitudes".

In his letter to Amneet Kumar, Kharge said he was "deeply pained, shaken, and rendered speechless" after learning that her husband, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Y. Puran Kumar, had taken his own life while "struggling against social prejudices and injustices".

"As I write this letter to you, I am speechless, deeply hurt and distraught. Your husband, ADGP Y. Puran Kumar, a senior IPS officer of the Haryana cadre, took his own life while battling social prejudices and inequities. Learning of this incident deeply hurts me," he wrote.

"In my long experience, I have witnessed many incidents closely, but this tragic incident, caused by bias and discriminatory thinking, has deeply pained me and all my colleagues fighting for social justice. While we are proud to have planted our flag on the moon, it is shameful that we have failed to empower those on whom the Constitution has entrusted the responsibility of alleviating the suffering and pain of the people," he added.

Kharge assured Amneet Kumar of his solidarity during this period of grief, saying, "We all stand with you in this hour of grief. The questions he raised will reach a decisive conclusion. You, too, need to have great patience and courage."

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had earlier written a letter to Amneet P. Kumar, saying the death of the senior IPS officer was a grim reminder that the "prejudiced and biased" attitudes of those in positions of authority often deprive even the most senior officers of social justice.

Meanwhile, the Haryana government on Saturday transferred Rohtak Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya, one of the officers against whom Amneet P. Kumar had been seeking action for allegedly abetting her husband's suicide.

--IANS

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