Chandigarh, March 20 — Army veterans have urged Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria to order a magisterial inquiry into the March 13 assault on Colonel Pushpinder Bath and his 22-year-old son, Angad, by 12 Punjab Police personnel in Patiala.
In a letter to Kataria, Major General (Dr) Kulpreet Singh, president of the Cavalry Officers Association, Chandigarh chapter, which comprises around 250 officers, called for immediate action. “Given the grave nature of the incident and heinous assault by those entrusted with upholding the law, it is imperative that an impartial investigation be conducted. A magisterial probe is warranted to restore public faith in the rule of law. The assault sets a dangerous precedent and demands immediate intervention at the highest levels of administration,” he wrote.
Colonel Bath, who was posted in New Delhi and on leave at the time, suffered a broken elbow along with head and back injuries. Angad sustained head wounds. Both are receiving treatment at the Military Hospital in Patiala.
The police initially hesitated to file a case, prompting Colonel Bath’s wife, Jaswinder Kaur, to release CCTV footage of the incident. Though 12 officers were suspended, the FIR was lodged against unidentified persons. The Patiala SSP has ordered a departmental inquiry with a 45-day deadline.
