Chandigarh/Amritsar, March 23: Laljit Singh Bhullar, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party and former Punjab minister, was arrested today following allegations that he drove a government official to take his own life. The arrest was confirmed by Amritsar police officials after a 12-second video emerged, purportedly recorded by Gagandeep Singh Randhawa before his death, in which he directly blamed the minister for his extreme step.
The backdrop of the case involves a dispute over the construction and tendering of new godowns. The family of the deceased official affirmed that Randhawa was summoned to Bhullar’s residence on March 13, where he was allegedly assaulted and forced at gunpoint to record a false statement. The complaint maintained that this “confession” was intended to be used as blackmail to ensure the official complied with the minister’s demands for tender allotments.
In Chandigarh, the opposition—including the Congress, BJP, and Shiromani Akali Dal—held a joint demonstration demanding immediate accountability. While the Chief Minister had initially ordered a probe by the Chief Secretary, the police moved to make the arrest as the situation in Amritsar escalated. Officials declared that the revenue and warehousing records related to the disputed tenders have been secured as evidence for the ongoing investigation.
“My husband was humiliated and told he must either kill himself or be killed,” Upinder Kaur stated in her deposition. She maintained that the family had been living in fear for over a week before the tragedy occurred. The former minister has denied all allegations, asserting that his resignation was a voluntary move to support the integrity of the judicial process.
