An FIR has been registered against former Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar in connection with the alleged suicide of a senior official of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation. The case has been filed by Punjab Police following a complaint from the victim’s family.
The deceased, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, who served as district manager of the corporation in Amritsar, allegedly died by suicide on Saturday. Along with Bhullar, the police have also named his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar and personal assistant Dilbag Singh in the case.
According to officials, the FIR was registered at the Ranjit Avenue Police Station in Amritsar based on a complaint lodged by Randhawa’s wife, UpinderKaur, late Saturday night.
The case has been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 108 (abetment of suicide), Section 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and Section 3(5) (common intention).
Amid growing controversy over the incident, Bhullar resigned from the Punjab cabinet after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed him to step down to ensure a fair and impartial investigation. Mann also ordered the chief secretary to conduct a thorough probe into the allegations and said Bhullar’s ministerial portfolios of transport and prisons would be reassigned.
The issue gained wider attention after a video allegedly recorded by Randhawa surfaced on social media. In the clip, he is heard claiming that he had consumed poison due to fear of Bhullar and suggested he would not survive.
Bhullar, who represents the Patti constituency in Tarn Taran district, has denied the allegations, calling them baseless.
Opposition parties have strongly criticized the government following the incident, accusing Bhullar of pressuring Randhawa to award a warehouse tender to his father. Additional allegations claim Randhawa was summoned to Bhullar’s residence on March 13, where he was allegedly assaulted and forced to record a video admitting to accepting a ₹10 lakh bribe from another party. Police said the matter is under investigation, and further details will emerge as the probe progresses.