11 days before death, SPO alleged caste abuse by cops, wrote to DGP

GURUGRAM: An inquiry has been ordered into the death of a Gurugram special police officer (SPO) in Hisar on Tuesday, based on a note in which he accused 10 cops of Civil Lines police station, including the SHO, of casteist harassment. The SPO was on leave and was supposed to join work on Monday, but he fell ill and died in Agroha Medical College on Tuesday.
The inquiry will be carried out by the ACP (Civil Lines). “The matter has been brought to my notice. I have directed the Gurugram police commissioner to have an inquiry carried out. If found guilty, the accused cops will be dealt with seriously,” said DGP B S Sandhu.

In a letter to the DGP on March 9, Vinod Kumar (42), a native of Saniyana village in Fatehabad district, alleged that 10 cops of Civil Lines police station — where he was placed — including SHO Narender Khatana, ASI Gajraj Khatana, ASI Bani Singh, head constables Krishan, Kaptan Singh and Sandeep (who is also the SHO’s driver), commandos Sandeep and Jarnail, and SPOs Jogender and Jagbir, were mentally torturing him on his caste, and that they should be held responsible if he committed suicide.

The letter read, “They often say they are bosses and verbally abuse me. They urinate under my bed or hide liquor bottles in my belongings. I have repeatedly pleaded for mercy, but they have not deterred and continued enjoying sadistic pleasure. I’m under stress at home as well owing to ill health of my mother and wife, and can’t bear this any more. If it continues, I’ll commit suicide and these cops will be responsible.”

Kumar also sent copies of the letter to the chief minister, the police commissioner, and some senior BJP leaders. He demanded action against the cops or a transfer from Civil Lines police station. The letter was received for appropriate action by police commissioner Sandeep Khirwar on the day of Kumar’s death.

When contacted, Khatana said the SPO had gone on leave a week ago. Khatana is under the scanner for an alleged botched-up investigation into the murder of a Class II student of a reputed Gurugram school, in which he ‘framed’ a school bus conductor.

According to Deepak Saharan, SP, Fatehabad, the cause behind the SPO’s death is not clear yet, and the postmortem report is awaited.

However, his family claimed he died due to the harassment by the cops. “Their torture killed him. This is not a natural death but murder, as they harassed him till he died. We want action or we’ll go on hunger strike soon. Hopefully, Haryana Police will give justice to its own employee,” said Premchand, Kumar’s uncle.

The family has not lodged a complaint with police yet. “My brother was the breadwinner of the family. We want police to register an FIR against the cops and give him justice,” said Balwant Raj, Kumar’s brother. Kumar was one of the cops who was recruited into the force during a special drive, due to shortage of cops in the city.