Chandigarh, March 22
The story of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa’s death has unfolded like a grim political drama in Punjab.
On Friday, the district manager of the Punjab Warehousing Corporation consumed poison but not before recording a haunting video. In it, he spoke of his fear of minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, saying he had taken “Celphos” and would not survive. His words spread quickly, shaking the state’s administration and public alike.
The following day, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered a probe and asked Bhullar to resign to ensure fairness. After mounting pressure from the Opposition that mere resignation is not enough, an FIR was registered today against Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar and his aide Dilbagh Singh, citing abetment of suicide, criminal intimidation and common intention.
Randhawa’s wife, Upinder Kaur, then stepped forward with a devastating account. She alleged that her husband had been relentlessly pressured by Bhullar to manipulate a warehouse tender in favor of his father. According to her, Randhawa was threatened with violence if he refused and the harassment only intensified when the tender went to another party. She described how Bhullar allegedly used WhatsApp calls to demand cancellation and reissuance of the tender, and how her husband often broke down under the weight of these threats.
The most chilling claim came from March 13, when Randhawa was summoned to Bhullar’s residence in Patti. Kaur said her husband was humiliated, assaulted and even held at gunpoint, forced to admit he had accepted a ₹10 lakh bribe. Days later, unable to bear the torment, Randhawa took his own life.
The tragedy has sparked outrage across Punjab’s political spectrum. The BJP accused the AAP government of shielding Bhullar, calling his resignation a mere cosmetic step. Congress demanded Bhullar’s arrest under murder charges and urged that the case be handed to the CBI. The Shiromani Akali Dal condemned the government, saying resignation cannot undo the severe harassment Randhawa endured.
What began as the death of a government officer has now spiraled into a full-blown crisis, raising questions about law and order, accountability, and the safety of those entrusted with public service.
