Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana High Court has transferred the probe into the assault on Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son to Chandigarh Police, rejecting the Punjab Police SIT constituted earlier. The court asked Chandigarh Police to form a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) within three days and finish the probe within four months. It also held that no Punjab Police officer on deputation will be included in the new SIT.
Col Bath and his son Angad Singh were attacked by Punjab Police officials at a dhaba in Patiala on March 14, 2025. The officers allegedly dragged Col Bath and beat up his son with baseball bats, giving the army officer a fractured arm and his son head injuries. First, police declined to file an FIR, and only on the dhaba owner’s statement, not Col Bath’s complaint. After public outcry, SSP Nanak Singh suspended 12 policemen, although the Bath family blamed him for protecting the perpetrators.
Col Bath’s wife, Jaswinder Kaur, had moved the High Court, seeking a CBI investigation, after being disappointed that Punjab Government did not take action of holding an independent inquiry. On March 31, she had met the CM and initially told that she was satisfied with CM’s promise but later complained of it being a promise in vain.
In Thursday hearing, the High Court directed the Punjab government to provide their consent for relocating the inquiry to Chandigarh Police, which was acquiesced to by the state attorney and Bath family. The Punjab Police SIT headed by ADGP A.S. Rai, which had started questioning the accused officers, is now dissolved with the probe shifting.
Following intervention by senior army officials, a new FIR was filed on March 21, 2025, at Patiala’s Civil Lines Police Station on the basis of Col Bath’s complaint. The FIR accused Police Inspectors Ronnie Singh, Harjinder Singh, Harry Boparai, and Shaminder Singh. Jaswinder Kaur, however, went on with her protest, seeking a CBI inquiry and blaming Patiala SSP Nanak Singh for inaction against the accused officers.