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The Amritsar district and sessions court on Wednesday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, father of AAP MLA and former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, in connection with the suicide of Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC) official, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa.
The ruling is a blow to the Patti AAP MLA, who is currently jailed in Amritsar, while his father and personal assistant, Dilbag Singh, continue to evade arrest.
The legal battle follows the death of 45-year-old Randhawa, who consumed poison at his Amritsar house on March 21. In a dying declaration recorded via a 12-second video, Randhawa identified Laljit Singh Bhullar as the source of his distress. The victim’s family alleged that the official was under intense pressure to favour Sukhdev Singh Bhullar in the allotment of warehouse tenders. According to the complaint, Randhawa was summoned to the minister’s residence on March 13, where he was allegedly assaulted, humiliated at gunpoint, and pressured to approve tenders in the senior Bhullar’s name.
The police registered a case of abetment of suicide at the Ranjit Avenue police station and later added charges of destruction of evidence.
During the court proceedings, defence counsel AK Varmani argued that 76-year-old Sukhdev Singh Bhullar was being victimised by political rivals and that Randhawa’s video message contained no specific allegations against him.
The defence characterised the prosecution as a “pressure tactic” fuelled by local media and political opponents, asserting that custodial interrogation was unnecessary given the applicant’s age and health.
However, the court sided with public prosecutor Shivraj Singh, clearing the way for Sukhdev Singh Bhullar’s arrest.
The dismissal adds to the legal woes of the AAP MLA as the Punjab government faces criticism for the slow pace of investigation.
The case triggered political outrage across Punjab, with opposition parties staging protests and demanding a CBI probe. Bhullar is the sixth AAP MLA to face arrest under the Bhagwant Mann government.
