Chandigarh, July 14 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday directed the Chandigarh Police to submit a status report by July 16 on the investigation into the alleged assault of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son by Punjab Police personnel in Patiala over a parking dispute in March.
The direction came from a bench of Justice Rajesh Bhardwaj while hearing a fresh petition filed by Col Bath, who has raised serious concerns about the progress and impartiality of the probe. “Despite over three months since the case was handed to Chandigarh Police, not a single accused has been arrested,” the petition states, accusing the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of “reticence and reluctance.”
The assault allegedly occurred on the night of March 13 outside a roadside eatery near Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. Col Bath and his son were having food outside their parked vehicle when four police inspectors and their armed subordinates—dressed in civilian clothes—asked the colonel to move his car. When he objected to their tone, one officer punched him, and the rest joined in the assault, according to the family’s statement. Col Bath sustained a broken arm, and his son received a head injury.
Col Bath initially approached the High Court in April, following which the case was transferred to Chandigarh Police on April 3. However, his new petition alleges that the investigation has made no meaningful headway. It highlights that while he has been summoned repeatedly, the accused have been called only once, and no non-bailable warrants or legal actions have been pursued to bring them in.
The petition further claims that crucial video evidence has gone missing. The digital video recorder (DVR) from a CCTV camera at the dhaba adjoining the scene of the incident—believed to have recorded the entire assault—has not been recovered. “There has been no serious attempt to retrieve the DVR or to hold anyone accountable for its disappearance,” the plea asserts.
The family, in a public statement following the hearing, said: “A strong order has been passed by the High Court and the police have been questioned over the delay. The SIT has been asked to file a report on July 16.”
Col Bath has demanded that the investigation be taken away from the current SIT and handed over either to senior officers within the Chandigarh Police or to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The court has asked both the Chandigarh Police and the Punjab government to respond to the concerns raised. The matter will next be taken up on Wednesday. The court’s detailed order is awaited.
