Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s offer to hand over the high-profile suicide case of a state official to the CBI, asserting that the Punjab Police is fully capable of conducting a fair and transparent investigation. The case has triggered a major political storm in the state after serious allegations surfaced against former transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar.
The controversy began after Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, allegedly died by suicide in Amritsar after consuming poison. Before his death, Randhawa recorded a video in which he reportedly accused Laljit Singh Bhullar of severe harassment and intimidation. The video quickly went viral, intensifying pressure on the Aam Aadmi Party government.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed Bhullar to resign from his Cabinet position. Soon after his resignation, a case was registered against Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Bhullar, and personal secretary Dilbagh Singh under charges including abetment to suicide, criminal intimidation, and common intention under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Bhullar was arrested and presented before a court, which sent him to five-day police remand for further questioning.
As the issue escalated, it also reached Parliament where Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla raised the matter in the Lok Sabha and strongly criticised the Punjab government. Following this, several opposition leaders including Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Dharamvira Gandhi and SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal wrote to Amit Shah demanding a time-bound CBI probe. Shah had indicated that the probe could be transferred to the central agency if all Punjab MPs jointly requested it.
However, Bhagwant Mann dismissed the demand, questioning why the Opposition had not sought CBI investigations in earlier cases involving their own leaders. He maintained that the state police would handle the case impartially and also announced that a chief secretary-level committee would examine the matter independently.
Meanwhile, after Bhullar’s resignation, the Punjab government carried out a cabinet reshuffle. Finance Minister Harpal Cheema has been given the transport portfolio, while Ravjot Singh has been assigned the jails department.
The incident has put the AAP government under intense scrutiny, with political pressure mounting from all sides. The case continues to develop rapidly and is expected to have significant political and legal implications in the coming days.
