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Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday visited the family of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PWC) official who died by suicide last month, and stepped up the demand for a "CBI inquiry" into the case.
Randhawa was allegedly tortured by Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and later died by suicide. The controversy erupted when Akali leader Bikramjit Majithia and others shared a purported video of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, where he mentioned the minister. Speaking to reporters after meeting the bereaved family in Amritsar, Bittu launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging that they are shielding the culprits. Bittu said it has been over 16 days since Randhawa's death, and neither Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Chief Secretary, DGP, nor any senior state government official has visited the family. "I am shocked by the details the family mentioned today. Gagandeep was a well-educated person with a PhD and 11 years of service left. He had a happy family, and his children were doing well. But this 'cruel minister' (Bhullar) destroyed them. Even after the CBI inquiry was mentioned, no officer--whether the MD, IAS officers, or the GM--helped him out of fear of Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann," Bittu said. The Union Minister alleged that Randhawa, a DM-level officer with 11 years of service remaining and a PhD to his name, was driven to take his own life due to relentless harassment by Bhullar and his associates over government tenders. Demanding a CBI inquiry, the BJP leader questioned the silence of the Congress party and its state president, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, on the demand for a CBI probe. "Why hasn't Raja Warring signed the request for a CBI inquiry yet? All MPs must sign for the sake of Punjab's daughter who is fighting for justice. On the floor of the House, the Home Minister has already said that if the MPs give it in writing, the case will be transferred to the CBI. We will see this through until life imprisonment is secured for Bhullar and his associates," Bittu added. Bittu warned that once the CBI inquiry is marked, Bhullar will name Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal. He also put officers on notice, saying those in khaki uniform who are shielding the accused will also face the CBI. "Any IO, any SHO, any DSP who has made this mother and these daughters suffer -- their turn will also come," he said. Asserting that the BJP will fight until justice is served, Bittu said, "As long as justice is not served to this person, as long as he doesn't go to life imprisonment, we won't let this go." (ANI)
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