Punjab AAP minister Bhullar quits after Amritsar official’s death row

Punjab Transport and Jails Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar resigned from the Cabinet on Saturday after his name surfaced in a suicide case involving a senior official of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PWC), triggering a major political controversy.Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann accepted Bhullar’s resignation and ordered an independent probe into the allegations. The decision came hours after Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a district manager (DM) with the PWC in Amritsar, allegedly died by suicide, reportedly accusing the minister of harassment.According to an official statement, Mann directed Chief Secretary K A P Sinha to conduct a thorough inquiry, reiterating the government’s “zero tolerance” policy towards negligence and misconduct. “While the inquiry is underway, action has already been taken,” a spokesperson for the CM said.

Punjab CMO says - "Following a controversial video, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has taken the resignation of Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar.
•The Chief Minister has directed the Chief Secretary to conduct an impartial inquiry into the matter.
•No negligence of any kind will be…

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2026

Randhawa, who was posted in Amritsar and also held additional charge of Patti, reportedly consumed a poisonous substance on Friday evening. A video that surfaced after the incident allegedly shows him claiming he took the extreme step out of fear of Bhullar. In the clip, he is heard saying he may not survive after consuming poison due to pressure linked to the minister.The case revolves around allegations that Bhullar, who represents Patti as an MLA, had pressured the official to award a warehousing tender to a political aide. Randhawa reportedly refused and instead proceeded with a legitimate bidder. Following this, allegations suggest he was summoned to the minister’s residence, assaulted, and coerced into recording a video “confessing” to accepting a Rs10 lakh bribe, which was allegedly used as a means of blackmail.
The incident quickly drew sharp reactions from opposition leaders. Bikram Singh Majithia and Sukhpal Singh Khaira demanded immediate criminal proceedings, alleging serious abuse of power and calling for a fair and transparent investigation. Majithia further claimed that attempts were made to record a forced confession after the officer was physically assaulted.Facing mounting pressure, the chief minister asked Bhullar to step down to ensure an impartial probe into the circumstances leading to the official’s death. Mann has assured that strict action will be taken against those found guilty.While Bhullar has not issued an official statement so far, sources close to him have termed the allegations a political conspiracy aimed at maligning the image of the Aam Aadmi Party government ahead of upcoming local body elections.