Mother Moves High Court for Impartial Autopsy in Punjab Official's Death
In a significant development, the mother of a Punjab State Warehousing Corporation official who died by suicide has approached the High Court, seeking directives for a post-mortem examination to be conducted outside Punjab. This move aims to ensure fairness and transparency in the investigation into her son's tragic death.
Petition Details and Allegations
Bhag Kaur, the petitioner, filed the plea just two days after her son, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, consumed poison. She has requested that the autopsy be performed by a medical board at institutions such as the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, GMCH-32, GMCH-16, Rohtak PGI, or Bathinda AIIMS. Additionally, she has sought orders for the preservation of all evidence, including videography of the post-mortem process.
The petition makes serious allegations against former Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and their associates. It claims that on March 13, they summoned Randhawa to the minister's residence to rebuke, threaten, and admonish him for failing to provide illegal favors in awarding tenders and contracts. The plea further asserts that Randhawa was physically assaulted at the location, subjected to humiliation and torture, and threatened with the elimination of his family, including minor children, by gangsters.
Escalation of Threats and Tragic Outcome
According to the petition, the minister openly declared that he had instructed gangsters to carry out the elimination task. Randhawa was continuously threatened with fatal consequences and informed that hired criminals were tracking his and his family's movements with intent to cause bodily harm or worse. Despite forwarding various representations to department managers, the deputy commissioner, and the President, Randhawa could not withstand the duress and harassment, ultimately leading to his suicide, as alleged in the plea.
This case highlights concerns over transparency and justice in Punjab, with the mother's petition emphasizing the need for an unbiased investigation to uncover the truth behind her son's death.
