CHANDIGARH, October 13 — Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to visit the family of late IPS officer Y Puran Kumar on Tuesday evening, adding a fresh dimension to a case that has already stirred state politics and the police hierarchy.
Gandhi is expected to arrive at 5:15 pm on October 14 to meet Amneet P Kumar, the widow of the deceased officer. The family has refused to allow a postmortem or perform last rites until Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur, ousted Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, and other officers named in Kumar’s “final note” are arrested, leading to a week-long standoff.
The visit follows a condolence letter from Sonia Gandhi delivered to the family earlier, which cited a “biased attitude of those in power” and pledged the party’s support. Over the past week, scores of high-profile figures have visited the family home, including Haryana and Punjab Chief Ministers Nayab Singh Saini and Bhagwant Mann, Congress MPs Deepender Hooda and Charanjit Singh Channi, and national leaders such as Ramdas Athawale and Pawan Kumar Bansal. These visits have been interpreted as symbolic assertions of political interest in what has now become a broader debate over caste, governance, and institutional bias.
Rahul Gandhi’s impending visit signals a new escalation, underscoring Congress’ approach to nationalise the case and frame it not just as a personal tragedy but as a social and political issue. Gandhi has publicly condemned Kumar’s death, calling it indicative of a “deepening social poison” linked to caste injustices.
With his visit, Gandhi is expected to call for immediate action, demand an impartial inquiry, and press for accountability at the highest levels of the state police and administrative machinery. Y Puran Kumar, a senior IPS officer, was found shot dead at his Sector 11 residence in Chandigarh on October 7.
