Punjab Ex-Minister Laljit Bhullar Faces FIR After Official's Suicide
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Chandigarh, March 22 (NationPress) The Punjab Police initiated a case against former Transport Minister Laljit Bhullar following the tragic suicide of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, who served as the District Manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation. Randhawa had previously accused Bhullar of harassment and coercion. On Saturday, he reportedly ingested Celphos at his residence in Amritsar. Before his passing, Randhawa recorded a brief video stating, “Kha layi Celphos thuade yaar ne minister Laljit Bhullar de dar ton, hun ni bachda (Your friend has consumed poison due to fear of minister Laljit Bhullar; I won’t survive now).”
Randhawa leaves behind his wife, a government school teacher, and three children.
In addition to Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Bhullar and personal assistant Dilbagh Singh have been charged under Sections 108 (abetment to suicide), 351 (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Randhawa’s wife, Upinder Kaur, claims that Bhullar, his father, and his PA were involved in assaulting her husband and holds them accountable for his suicide.
On Sunday, BJP leader Sunil Jakhar and other party officials plan to ‘gherao’ Chief Minister Bagwant Mann’s residence in Chandigarh, demanding Bhullar's arrest. Jakhar visited Randhawa’s family in Amritsar on Saturday night to express condolences and offer support for justice.
Jakhar stated that Chief Minister Mann lacks the moral authority to remain in power, highlighting that officials in Punjab are now driven to take their own lives due to alleged demands from ministers. He emphasized that this event represents a murder of a government employee in broad daylight and urged for Bhullar's immediate arrest.
Jakhar expressed disbelief at Mann's announcement that the investigation will be led by State Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha, questioning the Chief Secretary's involvement in murder investigations.
The Chief Secretary has been tasked with examining the allegations of harassment involving AAP MLA Bhullar, who represents the Patti Assembly constituency.
Jakhar criticized the state government's claims of integrity, remarking that it functions more like a “gang of Ministers” than a Cabinet. He noted that past incidents involving ministers reflect poorly on the AAP-led Punjab government, suggesting that Chief Minister Mann has become a liability.