Suicide By Punjab Warehousing DM: CM Bhagwant Mann ‘No’ To Amit Shah’s Offer For CBI Probe |
Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday rejected the Union home minister Amit Shah’s offer for a CBI probe, asserting that the state police was fully capable of conducting a fair and transparent investigation into the case of suicide by district manager (DM) of the state warehousing corporation, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, who had accused transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar of severe harassment. Addressing newspersons here, Mann, however, also said that the chief secretary-level committee will also look into the case.It may be recalled that Randhawa had ended his life by consuming poison on Saturday in Amritsar after making a video clip in which he purportedly alleged severe harassment and intimidation by Bhullar, also an MLA of ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).Bhullar resigned as Cabinet minister on Sunday after chief minister Bhagwant Mann directed him to do so. He was booked along with his father Sukhdev Bhullar and personal secretary Dilbagh Singh, later the same day for abetment to suicide (Section 108), criminal intimidation (351(3) and common intention (3(5) of the BNS.
Bhullar was arrested on Monday and was presented before court on Tuesday where he was sent to five-day police remand.
Even as the incident whipped up a political storm in the state, the issue also resonated in the Lok Sabha on Monday where Congress MP Gurjeet Aujla raised the issue hitting out at the Punjab AAP government. He also met Shah in the context following which the latter had agreed to transfer the probe to the Central agency if all the MPs from Punjab wrote to him. Also Watch:
Subsequently, four Congress’ MPs – Aujla, Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Dr Dharamvira Gandhi and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal gave formal letters to Shah demanding for a time-bound CBI inquiry.Meanwhile, Mann also hit back at the Opposition parties, questioning why they did not seek CBI investigation in several other past cases involving their respective leaders.CABINET RESHUFFLEMeanwhile, following resignation by Bhullar, who had the transport and jails departments, the finance and taxation minister Harpal Cheema was allotted transport portfolio and parliamentary affairs minister Ravjot Singh has been allotted jails portfolio.