IPS officer critical after consuming poison in Kanpur

KANPUR: An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted in Kanpur consumed a poisonous substance at his official residence in Cantonment area on Wednesday morning, police said.

The reason behind the step appeared to be personal, they added.

The 2014-batch IPS officer, Surendra Das, 30, who is posted as the superintendent of police in Kanpur (East), is in coma and undergoing treatment at Regency Hospital.

Chief medical superintendent, Regency Hospital, Dr Rajesh Agarwal said Das was on life support and his condition was critical. Doctors suspect that Das consumed Celphos, a pesticide, which has affected his entire body. While searching the room in the presence of the officer’s mother Indu Devi and brother Narendra Das, the forensic team found a torn suicide note.

ADG, Kanpur zone, Avinash Chandra said the officer had not blamed anyone in the suicide note. “He has mentioned several issues that indicate towards discord

in his personal life. Now it is a police case and we will investigate it properly,” he said.

“We are looking as to who tampered with the suicide note running in two pages,” he said.

Das had joined as the SP (Kanpur east) last month replacing Anurag Arya who was shifted to Amethi as superintendent of police.

Das’s wife Raveena Singh, who is a doctor, woke up at about 5 am and found froth oozing from her husband’s mouth. With the help of policemen and followers, she rushed Das to UHM Hospital’s emergency ward where his stomach was washed. Later, he was shifted to a private hospital from where he was referred to Regency Hospital.

SP (Kanpur west) Sanjiv Suman said Das was distressed over family problems. “We have spoken to the followers and learnt that he was troubled these days,” he said. Das’s mother, sister and brother, who live in Lucknow, reached Kanpur in the afternoon. His in-laws live in Kakadeo area of Kanpur.

Das, a BTech in electrical engineering, hails from Ballia.

DAS’S MOTHER, SISTER AND BROTHER, WHO LIVE IN LUCKNOW, REACHED KANPUR IN THE AFTERNOON. HIS INLAWS LIVE IN KAKADEO AREA OF KANPUR