The wife of a PWC official who died by suicide in Amritsar has demanded the arrest of ex-minister Laljit Singh Bhullar. She alleges he tortured her husband over a tender, leading to his death, and is delaying the last rites until justice is served.
The wife of the late Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a Punjab Warehousing Corporation (PWC) official who allegedly committed suicide in Amritsar, has demanded immediate action. Upinder Kaur, the deceased's spouse, told reporters, "We demand the arrest of Laljit Singh Bhullar. Make arrests. Postmortem and last rites will be conducted only after that. No action has been taken till now."
Demanding justice for his deceased husband, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, the wife said his "postmortem and last rites" will be conducted only after justice is served. Randhawa, a district manager in the Punjab Warehousing Corporation (PWC), died by suicide, sparking a political controversy in the state. Following the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann accepted Laljit Singh Bhullar's resignation as Transport Minister.
Wife Alleges Torture and Threats
Accusing Bhullar of torturing his husband, Kaur said on Sunday, "Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar tortured my husband a lot. My husband was made so helpless that he took his own life...He was told that his family, his children, would be finished off, and gangsters would be put after him. He was tortured a lot on 13th March at his office. On Saturday morning, yesterday, he took his own life. I have 3 young children. I have a mother-in-law. All of us demand justice. Make arrests. Postmortem and last rites will be conducted only after that...I want justice and nothing else. After he came back on 13th March, he had told me everything...He had even made a complaint to his department. They only kept giving him assurances, but nothing happened... FIR was not registered initially under the government's pressure... This was all done because a tender was not passed. It was being implied that my husband was not passing it deliberately...I fear for my life; security should be provided to my children and me...If anything happens to us, this Govt would be responsible for it..."
Police Action and Union Protest
Meanwhile, the Punjab Police registered an FIR naming former Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar in connection with the suicide case, the officials said. Bhullar's father, Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and his PA, Dilbagh Singh, have also been booked in the case, they further said. The Punjab State Warehousing Corporation Union also staged a sit-in protest, demanding justice in the Punjab Warehousing Corporation (PWC) Officer Randhawa's suicide case.
Political Fallout: Minister Resigns
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, following the resignation of Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, asserted that his government has zero tolerance for corruption. The AAP leader said, "We have zero tolerance for corruption, and it's not our first case. Our party has taken such action before, even in Delhi. So, if someone does something wrong and forces someone to take their own life, it's a matter of investigation. But whether it's our minister or anyone else, the law is the same for everyone. The law is taking its course."
On Saturday, Punjab Chief Minister Mann accepted Bhullar's resignation, following the political uproar triggered by a controversy involving Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a District Manager in the Punjab Warehouse Corporation, Amritsar, who was allegedly tortured by Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, due to which he committed suicide. (ANI)
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