Punjab officer suicide: Family alleges harassment, demands arrest of ex-minister

Chandigarh: The family of Punjab State Warehousing Corporation District Manager Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, who allegedly died by suicide in Amritsar, on Sunday demanded strict action and the immediate arrest of former state minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, alleging sustained harassment had pushed the officer to take the extreme step.

Talking to reporters here, the deceased officer’s brother, Varinder Singh Randhawa, said the family would not compromise and would continue to seek justice.

“We are not going to bow down, and there will be no compromise. This is the stand of the entire family after discussions among all members,” he said, adding that merely registering a case was not sufficient.

Criticising the state government, Randhawa said honest officers were being pushed to the breaking point despite claims of development and opportunities in Punjab.

“There were big claims about bringing investment and opportunities to Punjab, but today, even officers are being driven to extreme steps. Your ministers have turned into bullies. You used to say people from abroad would come and create jobs here, and you appeal to Punjabis not to send their children overseas. But what happens to those who study hard and become officers on merit? They are put under such pressure,” he said.

Appealing directly to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Randhawa said the arrest of the accused would demonstrate the government’s seriousness in ensuring justice.

“An FIR has been registered, but the accused Laljit Singh Bhullar has not yet been arrested. If he is arrested, it will show that you are a true leader of Punjab and a sincere Chief Minister,” he said.

The family also alleged that Gagandeep Randhawa had been facing intense pressure over warehousing tenders and had been repeatedly harassed by the former minister and his associates. According to relatives, he was allegedly asked to favour certain parties in tender allotments linked to Bhullar’s family, which he resisted.

They further claimed that the officer had been summoned to the minister’s residence earlier this month, where he was allegedly humiliated and assaulted, leaving him mentally distressed.

Gagandeep Randhawa allegedly consumed a poisonous substance at his residence in Amritsar on Saturday. Before his death, he recorded a brief video message on his mobile phone claiming that he had consumed poison out of fear of Bhullar. The video later surfaced on social media and triggered a major political controversy in the state.

Following the incident, Bhullar resigned as minister and an FIR was registered against him, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar and another associate at the Ranjit Avenue police station in Amritsar under provisions related to abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The bereaved family had earlier refused to perform the last rites until a case was registered against the former minister and has demanded a fair and transparent investigation into the circumstances leading to his death.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party gathered at the Punjab MLAs’ hostel in Chandigarh and planned a protest march towards the residence of Chief Minister Mann, demanding the arrest of Bhullar and a transparent probe into the case.

The incident has triggered a major political row in Punjab, with opposition parties accusing the AAP-led government of failing to protect officials from alleged political pressure, while the state government has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Randhawa’s death.

IANS