Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, a serving army officer, has filed a plea in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, requesting the transfer of his assault case investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or another independent agency. Bath alleges that 12 Punjab Police personnel assaulted him and his son over a parking dispute in Patiala on the night of March 13 and 14, making a fair investigation by the state police untenable.
In his petition, Colonel Bath, who holds a sensitive position under the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of India, described the attack as unprovoked and brutal. He claims that the officers, including four at the inspector rank and their armed subordinates, not only physically assaulted him and his son but also snatched his ID and mobile phone, and threatened him with a “fake encounter.”
The seriousness of the allegations is compounded by claims that local police initially ignored distress calls from Bath and his family. Instead of promptly registering an FIR based on Bath’s statement, local authorities filed a less severe charge of ‘affray’ against unknown persons. It took the intervention of senior police officers and the Punjab governor for a proper FIR to be registered, eight days after the incident.
Further complicating the matter, the accused officers allegedly made video calls to Colonel Bath’s wife, admitting to the offence while claiming they were intoxicated, and pressed her to compromise. Despite these developments, the police have yet to make any arrests, interrogate the accused, or secure crucial evidence, according to the petition.
Colonel Bath’s petition articulates a lack of trust in the local police’s ability to conduct an impartial investigation due to apparent conflicts of interest, delays, manipulation, and bias. He argues that only an independent agency like the CBI can ensure a fair investigation, prevent a miscarriage of justice, and uphold public confidence in the rule of law.
The plea also stresses the potential broader implications of mishandling the case, suggesting it could lead to demoralization within the armed forces, institutional breakdown, and irreparable harm to public trust.
In the meantime, the Punjab Police have suspended all 12 personnel involved and initiated departmental proceedings for major punishment. A special investigation team has been established to handle the case in a fair and expedited manner.
The matter has garnered considerable support from the community, with ex-servicemen and veterans joining the Bath family in a sit-in protest outside the Patiala deputy commissioner’s office. The protest was temporarily paused after assurances were given that the chief minister would address their grievances in an upcoming meeting.
