Shocking allegations have surfaced against Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar in connection with the suicide of Punjab Warehousing Corporation (PWC) district manager Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, who died by consuming poison on March 21, 2026. Randhawa's wife, Upinder Kaur, claims her husband faced relentless pressure, threats, and physical assault from the minister over a warehouse tender dispute.
In a 12-second video recorded before his death, Randhawa explicitly blamed Bhullar, stating in Punjabi: "Your friend has consumed poison due to fear of minister Laljit Bhullar. I won't survive." Kaur detailed that Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and personal assistant Dilbagh Singh demanded the tender be awarded to them, despite it violating rules, and intensified harassment after it went to another party. She alleged repeated WhatsApp threats to cancel and reissue the tender in their favor.
The most harrowing claim involves an incident on March 13 at Bhullar's residence in Patti, where Randhawa was allegedly summoned, humiliated, assaulted, slapped, and held at gunpoint. Kaur stated the minister forced her husband to record a false confession video admitting to a ₹10 lakh bribe, using it for blackmail to coerce compliance. Randhawa's maternal uncle corroborated the beating and pistol-whipping account to Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
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An FIR was lodged against Bhullar, his father, and aide under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for abetment to suicide, criminal intimidation, and common intention. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered a high-level probe by the chief secretary and accepted Bhullar's resignation on March 21 to ensure impartiality, though the minister denied all charges as "baseless and false." Randhawa, survived by his wife—a government school teacher—and three children, had been breaking down under the pressure.
Opposition parties, including BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla and Shiromani Akali Dal's Sukhbir Singh Badal, slammed the AAP government for fostering a lawless environment endangering officers. They demanded Bhullar's arrest, a CBI investigation, and murder charges, accusing Mann and Arvind Kejriwal of shielding the minister due to personal ties.The case has ignited a political firestorm in Punjab, highlighting governance failures and corruption allegations within AAP just ahead of key electoral cycles. As the probe unfolds, Kaur has appealed for justice amid reported family threats, underscoring the human cost of unchecked political interference.
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