Former Punjab Minister Bhullar, Father Among 3 Booked in Official’s Suicide Case

Chandigarh, Mar 22: Police have booked former Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and his personal assistant Dilbag Singh in connection with the alleged suicide of a state warehousing corporation official, officials said on Sunday.

Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in Amritsar, allegedly died after consuming a poisonous substance on Saturday.

An FIR has been registered under sections 108 (abetment of suicide), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Ranjit Avenue Police Station in Amritsar, based on a complaint filed by Randhawa’s wife, Upinder Kaur, on Saturday night.

Bhullar resigned from the state cabinet the same day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked him to step down amid allegations of abetment of suicide, assuring an impartial probe into the matter.

A video that surfaced on social media purportedly shows Randhawa claiming he consumed Celphos due to fear of Bhullar. “Kha layi ‘celphos’ tuhade yaar ne. Minister Laljit Bhullar de dar ton. Hun nahi main bachda,” he is heard saying.

Bhullar, MLA from Patti in Tarn Taran, has rejected the allegations as baseless.

The opposition has criticised the AAP government, alleging Bhullar pressured Randhawa to allot a warehouse tender to his father and forced him to record a video admitting to accepting a Rs 10-lakh bribe.

It has also been alleged that Randhawa was called to Bhullar’s residence on March 13, where he was assaulted and humiliated. (Agencies)