Last words Haryana ASI Sandeep Lathar told friend before suicide
What's the story
Haryana Police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sandeep Kumar Lathar allegedly died by suicide on Tuesday, just hours after he met friends at a tea stall near the Rohtak bypass, according to the Indian Express. His friends noticed something was off with him during the meeting, recalling that he seemed "troubled and distracted." After receiving a phone call, Lathar abruptly left, telling his friends he was returning to his office—a statement later proven false.
Tragic end
Something was troubling Sandeep, says friend
"He had called around 11am, saying, 'let us meet here for tea and a chat.' It was our usual hangout place. Four-five of us reached and the topic...was the way the death of IGP Puran Kumar was being handled." "It appeared that the suicide was troubling Sandeep, and he did not like the direction in which the probe was headed," Sandeep's friend Sanjay Deswal told the newspaper. Lathar was later found dead with a gunshot wound at his uncle's house.
Friend
Sandeep got a phone call before leaving
Deswal said that a few minutes into the conversation, Sandeep got a phone call, after which he said he was heading back to his office. "He left on his bike and I assumed he was going back to the cyber cell. I, too, returned home and within an hour heard about his death. Then, the video of a farm laborer saying he had seen a body with a gunshot wound went viral," he said.
Video
Accused IPS officer of corruption
Sandeep was part of the team that intercepted Sushil Kumar, an associate of Puran, in early October. "Sushil had abused him and threatened to face dire consequences for arresting him," a colleague told Hindustan Times. He had also left behind a video and a "final note" accusing Puran of corruption. He claimed he had "ample evidence" against the IPS officer, saying Kumar had "killed himself to avoid family humiliation."
Legal proceedings
FIR against IPS officer's family
On Wednesday, the Haryana Police registered an abetment of suicide case based on Lathar's note and video. The FIR registered after his death named Puran's wife Amneet P Kumar, brother-in-law MLA Amit Rattan, exemptee ASI Sushil Kumar, and another cop, Sunil, in connection with the case. The FIR was registered under Sections 108 (abetment to suicide) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Corruption claims
Opposition leaders demand fair probe
The case has sparked political outrage, with opposition leaders demanding an impartial investigation. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala have called for a probe under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court to ensure fairness. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also visited Sandeep's family to assure them of a fair investigation.