Chandigarh, March 22 -- The resignation of Laljit Singh Bhullar as the transport and jails minister makes him the third minister directly linked to criminal or ethical misconduct to be shown the door since Bhagwant Mann-led government assumed office in March 2022.

Bhullar stepped down on Saturday amid a grave controversy linked to the suicide of a government official who allegedly named the minister and accused him of coercion at gunpoint before his death.

The first major jolt to the administration came early in the tenure when health minister Vijay Singla was summarily dismissed in May 2022 over corruption allegations involving a demand for a 1% commission on department tenders.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann cited a "zero tolerance" po...