Chandigarh, March 23
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal today urged union home minister Amit Shah to order a CBI probe into the deeply disturbing death of Warehousing Corporation district manager Dr Gagandeep Singh Randhawa who was forced to take the extreme step of ending his life following physical and mental harassment at the hands of Transport minister Laljit Bhullar.
Reacting to a statement by the home minister in parliament in which he asserted that the centre would order a probe into the incident if MPs from Punjab made a formal representation in this regard, Harsimrat also urged other MPs from Punjab to make similar formal requests to bring out the truth in the case. “Given the gravity of the matter and the serious charges of political interference, it is imperative that the investigation be entrusted to an independent agency. Only a CBI probe can ensure an impartial investigation and restore faith among the victim’s family and the public”, she asserted.
In a letter to Amit Shah, the Bathinda MP said Dr Randhawa was a highly qualified officer, holding degrees of BSc, MSc in Agriculture Science, PhD, and MBA, and was a responsible government functionary having charge of two districts. “Before his death on March 21, he recorded a video message detailing the pressure and circumstances he was facing. It is extremely painful that an officer of such standing was pushed to such an extent that in order to protect his children and family from further suffering, he chose to take his own life”.
Harsimrat in her letter said the circumstances also pointed towards a systemic failure where the officers repeated distress calls went unheard. “It is also learnt that Dr Randhawa had brought the mental trauma and pressure to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner and the Managing Director of the Warehousing Corporation, but no effective action was taken by the Aam Aadmi Party government, reportedly due to the involvement of a powerful minister,” she said.
The SAD leader said as per the FIR registered in the matter, serious charges had been levelled against Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, his father, and an aide. She said it was disclosed that Dr Randhawa was subjected to extreme harassment and pressure to award a tender in favour of the minister’s father. “When he resisted, he was allegedly beaten, humiliated, and threatened. He was also allegedly threatened through gangsters, further escalating fear and coercion”.
Harsimrat said most shockingly, it had been disclosed that the officer was humiliated in an inhuman manner, forced to remove his clothes, and assaulted, including being hit on the head with a pistol by the minister and his goons. “Such acts, as alleged, amount to gross abuse of power and reflect a pattern of intimidation that violates basic human rights and administrative norms, ultimately pushing him to the brink”. She said even more distressing was the condition of his family. “His young children, who have lost their father and their entire world, are now being forced to speak publicly and seek justice in a moment of unbearable grief. No family should ever be compelled to endure such circumstances”.
Harsimrat also detailed how concerns had also emerged regarding the handling of the case by the AAP government. She said though an FIR had been registered; however, despite the passage of over 24 hours, no arrest has been made so far. She said the delay in registration of the FIR and the ambiguity regarding the resignation of the minister with no formal communication of such a resignation having been sent to the Governor, had eroded public confidence and created a perception that those in positions of power were being shielded.
The SAD leader also asserted in her letter that this case was not only about one officer’s tragic end but raised a larger and deeply concerning question about the safety, dignity, and independence of officers working within the system. “If such incidents are not addressed with urgency and accountability, it risks creating an environment of fear, coercion, and silence within the administrative framework”, she added.
