Attack on Colonel: Punjab Police file fresh FIR after outrage, name cops

After widespread outcry, Punjab Police on Friday registered a fresh FIR based on the statement of an army colonel, who accused 12 police officials of thrashing him and his son over a parking dispute in Patiala.

A three-member high-level special investigation team (SIT) has also been set up to conduct probe in a “fair and expeditious manner.” This comes a day after Colonel’s Pushpinder Singh Bath’s wife Jasvinder Kaur met Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria, who spoke to the state DGP and told him that it was the family’s right for the FIR to be registered based on the army officer’s statement.

Jasvinder broke down while addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Friday, demanding justice for her husband and son. She alleged that they had fallen victim to an “unimaginable act of brutality” at the hands of some Punjab police officials.

Special DGP Arpit Shukla said a new FIR has been registered at the Civil Lines police station, Patiala, on the basis of the statement of the victim. “In his statement, Col Bath named the police officers involved in the incident. To investigate this, a high-level SIT has been constituted, and they will investigate the case on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

The FIR names Inspectors Ronni Singh, who was SHO Samana, Inspector Harjinder Dhillon, who was in-charge special cell Patiala; and Inspector Harry Boparai, posted in special cell, Rajpura. The accused cops have been booked under Sections 155, (2) 117 (2) (both voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Additionally, eight unidentified people have also been named in the FIR.

The incident took place on the intervening night of March 13 and 14, when Colonel Bath and his son were at a roadside eatery near Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. The family claimed that when the two were standing outside their car and having food, some police officers in civilian clothes approached and asked the colonel to move his vehicle so they could park theirs.

When the colonel objected to their rude tone, one of the officers punched him, and soon all the police personnel began thrashing him and his son. The colonel’s arm was broken, and his son suffered a long cut on his head.

The previous FIR in the case was registered on the statement of dhabha owner and did not mention the names of 12 cops, who were placed under suspension.

“The SIT will be headed by SPS Parmar, additional DGP, law and order. Hoshiarpur SSP Sandeep Malik and SAS Nagar SP (rural) Manpreet Singh will be the other two members,” said the order issued by director of the bureau of investigation.

The SIT has been instructed to conduct a day-to-day investigation to gather evidence and proceed with further legal actions to ensure that the culprits are prosecuted as per the law.

A Punjab Police spokesperson stated that instructions have been issued to the Patiala Range DIG to immediately transfer the police officials concerned out of the district to ensure a fair investigation.

The spokesperson further added that all 12 police officials have been placed under suspension, and departmental proceedings for major punishment have been initiated against them. Further instructions have been issued to the ADGP, security, to provide adequate protection to the family of colonel’s family.

Earlier, addressing a press conference alongside her son and a relative, Jasvinder Kaur Bath, sought justice for her husband. Many senior ex-army officers and other ex-servicemen were also present at the press conference to stand in solidarity with the colonel and his family.

She also accused Patiala SSP Nanak Singh of failing to take action in the matter. “SSP Nanak Singh should also be posted out of Patiala for lack of cooperation, as we requested him multiple times to register the FIR. However, he kept giving false hopes, delaying the process of justice and causing untold harassment to the family,” she alleged.

She also claimed that she was asked to compromise on the issue and not pursue the case, even when she showed the videos of the “brutal violence that had been committed and also the videos where four accused police inspectors were seeking forgiveness from me.” SSP Patiala Nanak Singh could not be reached for comments.

“For seven days, I have been moving from pillar to post,” she said, frequently breaking down in tears as her voice choked with emotion. “My husband is a uniformed person. We are part of the army family,” she added. “Please help restore my shattered faith in the justice system and ensure that no innocent citizen suffers what we have encountered.” She told reporters that the accused cops “meted out such inhuman treatment to my husband… we don’t even deal with terrorists like this.”

The family had also rejected the probe by an executive magistrate ordered by the Punjab government on Thursday.