- Senior IPS officer OP Singh appointed Haryana DGP as Shatrujeet Singh Kapur sent on leave
- OP Singh is a 1992 batch IPS officer and brother-in-law of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput
- IPS officer Y Puran Kumar died by suicide, citing harassment by senior officers in his final note
Senior IPS officer OP Singh has been appointed as the new director general of police (DGP) of Haryana today, shortly after the incumbent top cop, Shatrujeet Singh Kapur, was sent on leave amid a row over IPS officer Y Puran Kumar's death by suicide.
"The Governor of Haryana is pleased to assign the additional charge of DGP, Haryana, to Om Prakash Singh, IPS (1992 RR), during the leave period of Shatrujeet Singh Kapur," an issued by Sumita Mishra Singh, additional chief secretary (Home), Haryana, stated.
Who is OP Singh?
OP Singh, a native of Bihar's Jamui district, is a 1992 batch IPS officer. He is the brother-in-law of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died by suicide in 2020.
Previously, Singh has worked as the special advisor to former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He also served as the Police Commissioner of Ambala/Panchkula, Faridabad IGP of Hisar Range, and IGP Rewari Range. Singh was awarded the Police Medal in 2008 and the President's Police Medal for distinguished service in 2017.
Sushant Singh Rajput's cousin, Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu, is the current MLA from the Chhatapur Legislative Assembly of Bihar and the Environment and Forest Minister in the Nitish Kumar-led government.
Row over IPS officer's death
Y Puran Kumar, a 52-year-old 2001 batch IPS officer, allegedly shot himself dead on October 7. In a 'final note', the officer named eight senior IPS officers, including the former Haryana DGP and the then Rohtak Superintendent of Police (SP), for allegedly harassing and maligning him. He also gave accounts of the alleged harassment, including caste-based discrimination, by some officers.
Puran Kumar was recently posted as the Inspector General of the Police Training Centre (PTC) in Rohtak's Sunaria.
His wife, Amneet, alleged that her husband's death was the result of "systematic persecution" by high-ranking officers. Puran Kumar's family has also refused to give consent for a post-mortem and cremation until their demands are addressed.
The Chandigarh police have formed a six-member special investigation team to probe the IPS officer's death.
The Opposition has been attacking the state BJP government over the incident. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the IPS officer's family at their home in Chandigarh earlier today. According to him, the officer faced systematic discrimination for years as other officers worked to demoralise him and damage his career and reputation.
"This is not just about one family. There are crores of Dalit brothers and sisters in the country. A wrong message is going out to them, that no matter how successful, intelligent, or capable you are, if you are a Dalit, you can be crushed, trampled, and thrown away. This is not acceptable to us," he said.
Gandhi also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to take action against officers named in the 'final note'.
