Chandigargh (Gurpreet Singh): Former Punjab Transport and Jails Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar was arrested on Monday, March 23, 2026, in connection with the alleged suicide of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a District Manager with the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC). The arrest follows a high-profile political storm that forced Bhullar to resign from the Bhagwant Mann-led Cabinet on Saturday after a 12-second “dying declaration” video surfaced online.
The case centers on the death of 45-year-old Randhawa, who allegedly consumed a poisonous substance at his Amritsar residence in the early hours of March 21. In the purported video, Randhawa directly blamed Bhullar, stating he was taking the extreme step due to fear and relentless harassment by the minister. According to the FIR registered at Ranjit Avenue Police Station, Randhawa’s wife, Upinder Kaur, alleged that Bhullar and his father, Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, had been pressuring her husband to illegally award warehousing tenders in the Patti and Khemkaran areas to the minister’s associates. The family further claimed that on March 13, Randhawa was summoned to the minister’s residence, where he was thrashed and forced at gunpoint to record a false confession of accepting a bribe.
Key Details of the Case
- Charges Filed: The FIR names Laljit Singh Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and personal assistant Dilbagh Singh under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 108 (Abetment of Suicide), 351(3) (Criminal Intimidation), and 3(5) (Common Intention).
- Political Fallout: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sought Bhullar’s resignation on Saturday to ensure a “fair and impartial investigation,” asserting a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment of officials.
- Protests and Ultimatum: Prior to the arrest, opposition leaders from the Congress, BJP, and SAD held a joint protest in Chandigarh, where police used water cannons to disperse the crowd. Randhawa’s family had refused to cremate his body, issuing a 24-hour ultimatum for the minister’s arrest.
Bhullar has dismissed the allegations as “baseless and false,” claiming he resigned voluntarily to facilitate the probe. Following the arrest, the Punjab government has directed the Chief Secretary to conduct a thorough inquiry into the administrative pressures that led to the tragedy. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition, who have characterized the situation as “gangster raj” within the government and are continuing to demand a CBI-led investigation into the matter.
