Punjab Minister arrested after official's alleged suicide sparks outrage

Protests have broken out in Amritsar for Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a warehouse manager who died by suicide after allegedly being tortured by Punjab Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar. The minister has since been arrested following political pressure.

Protests Demand Justice for Deceased Official

People gathered at Amritsar on Tuesday to protest and demand justice for Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, the District Manager of the Punjab Warehousing Corporation, whose death has sparked outrage across Punjab. Staff from warehouses across the state joined the protest, holding banners and raising slogans for accountability.

Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar Arrested

Randhawa was allegedly tortured by Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and later died by suicide. The controversy erupted when Akali leader Bikramjit Majithia and others shared a purported video of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, where he mentioned the minister. Punjab Police on Monday arrested Bhullar after registering an FIR in connection with the case. According to officials, charges related to abetment of suicide and threatening are being invoked. The arrest follows Bhullar's resignation, which was accepted by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann amid mounting political pressure.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigation), Amritsar, Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu, confirmed the arrest and said that the accused would be presented before a court.

Warehouse Union Joins Protest

Meanwhile, protests have also been staged by the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation Union, demanding justice for Randhawa. At the scene, Warehouse Union Manager Dilbag Singh demanded justice for Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, four days after his death. Talking to ANI, he said, "...It has been four days since the death of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa. Postmortem of the body will be conducted today. So, we are here demanding justice for him...Staff from the entire Punjab will be there."

Postmortem and Last Rites

DSP Gagandeep Singh was present at the hospital, where he outlined the postmortem arrangements and the family's involvement. He told ANI, "Members of the family are also coming here (to the hospital). The body will be taken from here, and the postmortem will be conducted at the medical college. A Board of Doctors will conduct the postmortem. Supervision and videography will also be done. Family is saying that they will perform the last rites."

Family to Proceed with Last Rites

While Ravinder Singh, a member of the deceased's family, confirmed the postmortem timing and plans for last rites following the arrest of accused Laljit Singh Bhullar. He said at the protest site, "...We have been given time for postmortem... We will then perform the last rites around 1.30-2 pm... Our main demand was the arrest (of accused former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar), which has been done... So, we will perform the last rites after the post-mortem," while talking to ANI.

Political Reactions and Demands for CBI Probe

Earlier, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into this suicide case, urging the central government to investigate the entire matter swiftly and correctly. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)