After Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar's arrest, opposition pushes for CBI probe into suicide of government officer

AFter Punjab government minister Laljit Singh Bhullar was arrested by law from Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib dominion on mon afternoon in connectedness with an abetment-to-suicide case involving a Warehousing Corporation officer, opposition, including BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, are pushing home ministry for a CBI probe into the matter.On March 21, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, district manager of the Punjab Warehousing Corporation, died by suicide, allegedly blaming the minister for pressuring him with threats.Randhawa’s wife, Upinder Kaur, registered an FIR on March 22 against Bhullar, accusing him of threatening her husband with violent consequences if he refused to cancel a tender and reissue it in the minister’s father’s name.The suicide of the government officer has shaken the AAP-led government, with the opposition accusing chief minister Bhagwant Mann of failing to take prompt action against Bhullar due to his closeness to him.Opposition in Punjab demands CBI probeOn Monday, March 23, soon after Bhullar was arrested, several members of parliament from Punjab—including Congress leaders Charanjit Singh Channi, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and Dharamvir Gandhi—wrote to home minister Amit Shah, requesting a CBI probe into the matter. Shiromani Akali Dal leader and MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also made a similar request.Also Read: Ex-AAP minister Laljit Bhullar arrested from Mandi Gobindgarh in Punjab official’s suicide caseThe issue was raised in the Lok Sabha by Aujla, the Congress MP from Amritsar. He alleged that Bhullar had pressured the official, leading to his suicide. Shah, who was present in the House at the time, was about to leave when Aujla requested him to hear him out. Shah replied that if all Punjab MPs submitted a written request, he would immediately order a CBI inquiry into the case.Meanwhile, in Punjab, BJP state chief Sunil Jakhar told the media that Bhullar was arrested only after Shah indicated the case could be handed over to the CBI and due to pressure from the BJP.He also claimed that a CBI probe would expose the Aam Aadmi Party’s secrets and the alleged money trail linked to Bhullar.BJP leader and union minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu also demanded a CBI investigation. He said that after Bhullar allegedly threatened Randhawa while pointing a gun at him, the officer had approached top officials—and possibly even the chief minister—but no one responded.“Imagine the jungle raj in Punjab—no DC, no secretary heard him. I am sure the secretary must have written to the CM, but when no response came, he thought it better to take his own life before anyone could harm his wife or daughter,” Bittu said.