Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], October 11 (ANI): Congress leader Harish Rawat has expressed deep concern over the tragic death of IPS Y Puran Kumar, who allegedly died by suicide at his residence in Chandigarh on October 7.

Rawat criticised the growing narrow-mindedness in the bureaucracy, stating that intolerance based on religion, caste, and language is spreading in India.

Speaking to ANI on Friday, Harish Rawat said, 'It's deeply concerning to see how narrow-mindedness has seeped into the bureaucracy today. Those in power and those who wield authority have fostered insularity and intolerance in people's minds.'

'This intolerance is sometimes based on religion, sometimes on caste, and sometimes on language. India is currently facing its harmful effects. We lost a capable police officer who fell victim to narrow-mindedness. His wife has filed an FIR,' Rawat said.

Earlier, the Chandigarh Police announced the formation of a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive and impartial probe into the matter in the wake of serious allegations surrounding the death of the senior IPS officer.

The SIT, formed under the supervision of Inspector General of Police (IGP) UT Chandigarh Pushpendra Kumar, will investigate the case registered at Police Station Sector-11 (West) under Sections 108 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3(1)(r) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The SIT comprises IGP Pushpendra Kumar as head, along with SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, SPICity KM Priyanka, DSP Traffic Charanyit Singh Vik, SOPO South Qujt Kaur, and SHO PS-11 (West) Jarveer Singh Rana.

Officers may co-opt additional experts as required to expedite the collection of evidence, the examination of witnesses, and the preparation of the final report, according to a statement.

Earlier, the Haryana IAS Officers' Association has expressed deep sorrow over the sudden and tragic death of IPS Y Puran Kumar. The Association paid tribute to his integrity and dedication to public service, remembering his contribution to society. (ANI)