After public outrage, 12 Punjab Police personnel, including three inspectors, were placed under suspension on Monday and a departmental inquiry was ordered against them for thrashing an army colonel and his son over a parking dispute here on Saturday.
The suspended police officials are in the rank of inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors, head constables and constables. “All 12 cops involved in the incident have been suspended with immediate effect. A departmental inquiry has also been initiated and will be completed within 45 days,” said Patiala senior superintendent of police Nanak Singh. Among the suspended cops are inspectors Harry Boparai, Ronnie Singh and Harjinder Dhillon.
Terming it as a sad incident, the SSP said, “We deeply regret it, and we seek an apology for the same.” “Both the parties have issued their statements. We will also involve independent witnesses in the matter,” the SSP added.
Colonel Pushpinder Bath, who is undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital in Patiala, was allegedly kicked in the face, while his left arm was broken and he suffered injuries on the back following the assault by the policemen, who were in civvies, outside an eatery near Rajindra Hospital on the intervening night of March 13 and 14.
Colonel Bath, while talking to HT, said: “My Son Angad had come to Patiala from Delhi. He reached at 12.15 am and we decided to have ‘maggi’ at a roadside dhabha. “We were standing standing near our car and having food, when some police officials, who were in civil dress, reached the spot and asked me to remove my vehicle while using abusive language. “When I objected to their language, one of them punched me. Later, all the police personnel thrashed me and my son who tried to intervene. They even took my government ID card and mobile phone,” added Col Bath.
{{/usCountry}}Colonel Bath, while talking to HT, said: “My Son Angad had come to Patiala from Delhi. He reached at 12.15 am and we decided to have ‘maggi’ at a roadside dhabha. “We were standing standing near our car and having food, when some police officials, who were in civil dress, reached the spot and asked me to remove my vehicle while using abusive language. “When I objected to their language, one of them punched me. Later, all the police personnel thrashed me and my son who tried to intervene. They even took my government ID card and mobile phone,” added Col Bath.
{{/usCountry}}Jaswinder Bath, wife of Col Bath, said her husband and son were beaten using baseball bats and sharp-edged weapons, because of which the colonel’s arm was broken, and her son suffered a long cut on his head.
Col Bath, who is posted at the army headquarters in New Delhi, said: “The police did not name the personnel as accused in the case initially. Moreover, the FIR was registered only after senior army officers intervened.”
A CCTV footage of the incident was also shared on social media and drew public outrage with retired army officers condemning the incident and demanding strict action against the police personnel.
Lt Gen KJS Dhillon (Retd) demanded a strict action against the accused cops. He took on X and said, “This is the most atrocious & disgusting behaviour by Punjab Police towards a serving officer of the @adgpi & his son I hope @CMOPbIndia @DGPPunjabPolice take immediate action Jai Hind”
Senior Congress leader and leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also slammed the Punjab government over the incident. “A serving Army Colonel and his son were brutally thrashed by officials of Patiala Police. This is the state of law and order in Punjab under AAP Govt. If a high ranking army officer is not safe we can very well imagine the plight of a common man,” Bajwa wrote on X.