Amritsar, March 22
On Sunday, Amritsar police filed a criminal case against former Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Bhullar, after the shocking suicide of Punjab Warehousing Corporation District Manager Gagandeep Randhawa the previous day. According to the FIR, Bhullar, his father and his personal assistant face charges under Sections 108 (abetment to suicide), 351 (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In her harrowing complaint, Randhawa’s wife Upinder Kaur alleged that the trio not only assaulted her husband but even struck him with a pistol. She claimed they subjected him to relentless humiliation, pushing him to the brink.
For months, Randhawa was reportedly under severe pressure linked to warehouse tender allocations. The accused allegedly coerced him to manipulate the process in their favour. When he refused, he was met with continuous threats, intimidation and harassment, including menacing warnings of harm to his family.
Unable to endure the torment, Randhawa consumed poison on Saturday morning. Before his death, he recorded a brief video message, which has since surfaced on social media, amplifying public outrage.
The incident has triggered a political storm. SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, BJP state president Sunil Jakhar and Congress leader Partap Bajwa visited the grieving family to express solidarity. Meanwhile, opposition parties have announced a dramatic protest, vowing to gherao Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Chandigarh today.
