Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed Transport and Jails Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar to submit his resignation on Saturday following the suicide of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in Amritsar. Randhawa left behind a purported 12-second video in which he appeared to blame the minister, stating in Punjabi that “your friend has consumed poison due to fear of minister Laljit Bhullar” and indicating he would not survive.
The development triggered intense political controversy, with opposition parties demanding Bhullar’s arrest and a CBI investigation. Bhullar, an AAP MLA from Patti in Tarn Taran district—where Randhawa held additional charge—tendered his resignation but strongly denied the allegations, describing them as “completely baseless and false.” In a Facebook post, he stated that he sought a thorough probe to reveal the truth and requested the party and chief minister to accept his resignation to avoid any hindrance to the investigation.
According to reports, opposition leaders alleged that Randhawa faced harassment and intimidation from the minister, including pressure to award warehousing tenders to Bhullar’s father. SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia claimed Randhawa was summoned to the minister’s residence on March 13, assaulted, and coerced at gunpoint to record a video admitting to a Rs 10 lakh bribe for awarding a tender to another party. Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla from Amritsar called for registering a police case against Bhullar and seizing CCTV footage from the residence to verify the claims.
Randhawa’s family has demanded a CBI probe. His uncle, Amarjeet Singh, told media that the family endured immense stress, including threats of abduction by gangsters if Randhawa did not comply. He alleged the official was assaulted and struck on the head, leading to humiliation he could not endure.
Chief Minister Mann expressed deep sorrow over the incident, extending sympathies to the family. He emphasized that no action leading to a person’s death would be tolerated and that no official should face such pressure as to take their own life. To ensure an impartial inquiry, Mann ordered Chief Secretary KAP Sinha to conduct a fair probe and stated that appropriate action would follow. He described seeking the minister’s resignation as the strongest immediate step, with Bhullar’s portfolio to be reassigned soon.
This marks another controversy for Bhullar, who had apologized in April 2024 for derogatory remarks against certain communities during a rally in Patti.
Opposition figures, including Majithia, labeled the resignation a “drama” and renewed calls for a CBI investigation, along with conducting the post-mortem at PGI Chandigarh or AIIMS Delhi. They urged the Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice to take suo motu notice for justice.
