Rohtak| The ongoing investigation into the suicide of Haryana IPS officer IG Y. Poonan Kumar has taken a new turn after ASI Sandeep Kumar Lathar allegedly shot himself with his service revolver on Tuesday in Rohtak.
Before taking his life, Sandeep Kumar recorded a six-minute video and left behind a four-page suicide note accusing IG Poonan Kumar of corruption and abuse of power.
According to police sources, the ASI’s body was found in a tube well room located in the fields near Lavit village in Rohtak. “Sandeep was known to be an honest and hardworking officer,” said SP S. M. Bhoria, adding that it is too early to comment on the contents of the video and note.
Sandeep was posted in the Cyber Cell and had played a key role in the arrest of Sushil Kumar, the gunman of IG Poonan, on corruption charges. A liquor contractor had accused Sushil of demanding ₹2.5 lakh per month in the officer’s name. The following day, on October 7, IG Poonan reportedly shot himself at his residence in Chandigarh.
In his suicide note, Poonan had accused DGP Shatrujeet Kapoor and SP Narendra Bijarnia, along with 12 other officers, of caste discrimination and workplace harassment. Following this, the Haryana government sent DGP Kapoor on leave, and SP Bijarnia was transferred.
Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) approached court seeking permission for IG Poonan’s post-mortem, which has been delayed for eight days due to the family’s refusal. The court has issued a notice to Poonan’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, directing her to respond by Wednesday. The court stated that if no reply is received, it will decide the matter on merit.
Key Excerpts from Sandeep Kumar’s Video Message:
In his final message, Sandeep said, “The price of truth is very high. Bhagat Singh sacrificed his life, and the nation awakened. IG Poonan was a corrupt officer. He took bribes in murder cases and made deals worth crores. Honest officers like SP Narendra Bijarnia tried to stand up to him.”
He further alleged that IG Poonan discriminated among employees based on caste and replaced honest staff with corrupt associates who extorted money from others. “They created such an environment that anyone visiting the office was asked for money by Poonan’s gunman,” Sandeep claimed.
The ASI also alleged that Poonan’s family was involved in corruption and that his wife feared exposure. He called for a thorough investigation into the alleged bribery network.
Sandeep’s family has reportedly refused to allow his post-mortem until a formal FIR is registered in the case.
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