The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday granted three days of interim protection from arrest to Ronnie Singh, a police officer accused in the assault of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath in Patiala. The incident, which occurred on the night of April 13 and 14, has led to charges against twelve police personnel. Justice HS Brar, presiding over the case, provided Singh with a window to seek relief from a trial court, ordering that he not be arrested during this period.
Ronnie Singh, who approached the high court on April 1, claims he was falsely implicated in the case. In his petition, Singh describes a police raid conducted near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, aimed at apprehending a wanted drug trafficker. According to Singh, during the operation, he and his team encountered individuals, including Colonel Bath and his son, consuming alcohol in public and obstructing hospital access. The petition alleges that when asked to clear the area, Colonel Bath and his party reacted aggressively, assaulted the police officers, and created a public nuisance.
The petition further claims that the altercation was captured on CCTV and that there are eyewitness accounts corroborating Singh’s version of events. Singh also mentioned being the target of a misleading social media campaign that has painted him negatively in the public eye.
This legal development comes as the high court is also set to hear a petition from Colonel Bath on Thursday, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident. The case has garnered significant attention, highlighting concerns over law enforcement interactions and the influence of social media in shaping public perception of such events.
