CHANDIGARH: Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar on Saturday resigned from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led cabinet amid a row over the alleged suicide of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC).
According to sources, it has been alleged that Bhullar pressured Randhawa to award a warehousing tender to a political aide. When he refused, he was allegedly summoned to the minister’s residence, assaulted, and coerced into “confessing” on camera to accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe as a means of blackmail. Randhawa, who was posted in Amritsar, also held additional charge of Taran Taran district, where Bhullar’s constituency is located.
Randhawa allegedly died by suicide after consuming a poisonous substance on Thursday evening. A video surfaced shortly before his death in which he purportedly said, “ Your friend has consumed poison due to fear of minister Laljit Bhullar, I would not survive now.’’
Following the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann sought Bhullar’s resignation and ordered a probe into the matter. He directed the Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha to conduct a detailed inquiry into the circumstances that led to the officer’s death. Mann termed the incident unfortunate and said that the suicide of a district manager-level officer was a serious matter and not the mandate or governance model of the Aam Aadmi Party government. He said accountability would be fixed after the inquiry and strict action would be taken if anyone was found responsible for harassment or misuse of authority.
“ I immediately sought the minister’s resignation and we will give charge of his department to another minister. To ensure the investigation into the suicide is not compromised, we have taken the resignation. We stand with the family in this difficult time,’’ said Mann.
After submitting his resignation, Bhullar dismissed the charges as baseless and false. He claimed that he was stepping down to facilitate a fair inquiry. “Our party has always stood for truth. I request my party and the CM to accept my resignation, so that my position does not become an obstacle in ensuring a fair inquiry. I want the truth to come out,” he said.
The incident has triggered a political backlash, with the opposition demanding registration of a case against Bhullar and calling for his arrest, along with an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa raised serious questions over Randhawa’s death. In a post on X, Bajwa alleged that Randhawa faced sustained harassment and assault by AAP Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and had reportedly named the minister before taking the extreme step. He urged CM Mann and Punjab Police to launch an immediate, impartial investigation, stressing that the law must apply equally to everyone and that any delay would deepen public mistrust. He clarified the matter is about accountability and justice, not politics.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that Randhawa died by suicide after consuming Celphos. He also alleged that Randhawa named Bhullar before his death.
Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal questioned CM Mann, asking if accepting the resignation could bring back the deceased official. Dismissing the action as mere drama, Badal asserted that real justice would be delivered by the people of Punjab soon.