Punjab Minister Arrested in Official Suicide Case

In Amritsar on March 21, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, the district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, died by suicide after consuming poison at his residence, leaving behind a video in which he accused state Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar of harassment and coercion. The incident, which has sparked a political controversy in Punjab, led to Bhullar's immediate resignation and his arrest two days later on charges including abetment to suicide.

Randhawa, a 45-year-old official with advanced degrees in agriculture and business administration, was overseeing operations in Amritsar and another district. According to the video that surfaced the same day, he faced sustained pressure from Bhullar to award tenders for constructing storage facilities, reportedly linked to a 50,000-tonne capacity project involving the Food Corporation of India. Officials said the demands favored Bhullar's father, Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and included threats, physical assault, and intimidation extending to Randhawa's family. An FIR registered by Amritsar police named Bhullar, his father, and personal assistant Dilbag Singh, invoking sections for abetment of suicide and criminal...