The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday transferred the investigation into the alleged assault on Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath over a parking dispute outside a dhaba in Patiala by Punjab Police personnel on March 13, to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
“The court found the police investigation tainted. Hence, it decided to transfer the case to the CBI,” Colonel Bath’s lawyer Pushpinder Singh Ahluwalia said after the hearing.
The detailed order is awaited.
Also read | HC decision to transfer case to CBI reignites hope, says Col Bath’s wife
The high court bench of justice Rajesh Bhardwaj was dissatisfied with the pace of police investigation and at one point orally observed, “The special investigation team (of the police) is creating loopholes to give benefit of doubt to the accused officers.”
It also questioned the SIT, led by Chandigarh Police SP Manjeet Sheoran, how it proposed to drop the attempt to murder section from the case.
The court asked the SIT what steps had been taken after the dismissal of the anticipatory bail please of one of the accused inspectors, Ronnie Singh.
{{/usCountry}}The court asked the SIT what steps had been taken after the dismissal of the anticipatory bail please of one of the accused inspectors, Ronnie Singh.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, the SIT, in its response, had assured the court that the inquiry was underway and it would be completed within the timeframe.
On Monday, Colonel Bath filed a fresh petition alleging “reticence and reluctance” to impartially investigate the FIR by the SIT and had demanded that the probe be withdrawn from it and be entrusted to either senior officers of Chandigarh Police or the CBI.
Colonel Bath and his son were allegedly assaulted by four Punjab Police inspectors and their armed subordinates over a parking dispute when they had stopped for a meal at a roadside eatery near Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala on the night of March 13.
His family said the duo was standing outside their car when the policemen in civvies approached them and asked the Colonel to move his vehicle so that they could park theirs.
When the Colonel objected to their rude tone, one of the police officers punched him, and soon the other policemen started thrashing his son and him. The Colonel’s arm was broken, and his son suffered a cut on his head. The case was handed over to Chandigarh Police by the high court on April 3, acting on the plea from the Colonel for a fair probe.
In a fresh plea, the Colonel questioned the manner in which the Chandigarh Police SIT was proceeding with the probe. It alleged the petitioner was summoned multiple times but accused only once. The digital video recorder (DVR) of the dhaba, where the incident took place, had gone missing, but no attempt was made to retrieve it.
“After three-and-a-half months of the FIR and three months since the probe was handed over to Chandigarh Police, not a single accused had been arrested or investigated,” the Colonel’s plea said, adding that no non-bailable warrant or any other legal proceeding had been initiated against the accused by the investigating agency.
Case timeline
March 13-14: Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son Angad were allegedly assaulted by Punjab Police personnel over a parking dispute outside a dhaba (eatery) near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala.
March 15: Patiala police registered FIR against unidentified persons based on eatery owner’s statement, but no case registered on Col Bath’s complaint. His wife Jasvinder Kaur held press conference to highlight inaction.
March 17: Departmental inquiry initiated against 12 policemen, but identities not disclosed.
March 21: Opposition leaders raise issue in Punjab assembly. Punjab Police formed three-member special investigation team (SIT), headed by ADGP SPS Parmar.
March 22: Fresh FIR registered based on Colonel Bath’s statement, accusing 12 cops of assault. Following public outrage, the accused were suspended.
March 25: The Punjab and Haryana high court questioned delay in registering the FIR and sought a detailed reply from the Punjab government by March 28.
March 26: Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav and Western Command chief of staff Lt Gen Mohit Wadhwa hold joint press conference to de-escalate tensions. The army demanded a transparent and time-bound inquiry, while the DGP assured strict action.
March 27: Colonel Bath filed a plea in the high court, seeking probe be transferred to CBI or independent agency.
March 28: AS Rai was appointed as the new head for the SIT as Parmar was transferred as Vigilance Bureau.
March 30: Col Bath’s family met defence minister Rajnath Singh seeking CBI intervention, expressing lack of faith in the Punjab Police probe.
April 3: High court transferred investigation to Chandigarh Police, directing a new SIT be formed under AGMUT-cadre IPS officer and a four-month timeframe to complete the probe.
May 23: High court dismissed anticipatory bail plea of Ronnie Singh Salh, one of the accused officers, calling the act a “gross misuse of police authority”.
June 11: Colonel Bath’s wife met Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria in Chandigarh, expressing concern over the delay in the case and demanding arrests.
July 14: High court seeks report from Chandigarh Police on status of investigation by July 16.
July 16: High court transferred probe to CBI due to dissatisfaction with the pace of the Chandigarh Police probe.