Ludhiana : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has dismissed Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar following the suicide of a Punjab Warehousing Corporation officer, sparking a political controversy in the state. Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, who was posted as a District Manager in Amritsar, consumed a poisonous substance and died in hospital. Before his death, he recorded a video accusing Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar of pressurising, torturing and harassing him.
Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla demanded an FIR against the MLA from Patti, stating that the minister’s resignation was insufficient. He also cautioned police against pressuring the officer’s family. Opposition leaders, including Shiromani Akali Dal’s Bikram Majithia and Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, demanded an independent probe into the matter as well as Bhullar’s arrest.
Claiming that the minister had sought a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from the officer, Jakhar questioned AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s claim of providing a ‘kattar imandar sarkar (clean and honest government)’ in Punjab. Mann said the resignation was taken to ensure an impartial inquiry and reiterated that the government has “zero tolerance” for negligence or harassment. He directed the chief secretary to conduct a high-level probe into the circumstances leading to the official’s death and assured that strict action would be taken against those found guilty.
The development came after Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a district manager with the Punjab Warehousing Corporation in Amritsar, allegedly died by suicide after consuming a poisonous substance. In a video that surfaced on social media platforms, Randhawa purportedly claimed he had taken the step out of fear of Bhullar and indicated he would not survive. In the clip, he reportedly claimed he was pressured to award a tender to the minister’s aide, which he refused in favour of a legitimate bidder, demands for a Rs 10 lakh bribe, and alleged physical assault at Bhullar’s residence, where attempts were made to record a compromising video.
The video prompted Opposition parties to demand immediate action. Opposition leaders, including Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, demanded immediate criminal action. Majithia alleged that attempts were made to record a coerced video of the officer after he was physically assaulted at the minister’s place.
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