Colonel Pushpinder Bath assault case: Punjab and Haryana High Court hands over probe to Chandigarh police

Jasvinder Kaur, wife of Colonel Pushpinder Bath.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday handed over the investigation of the Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath case to Chandigarh police.

The court was responding to Bath’s petition seeking transfer of the assault case probe to the CBI or an independent agency. According to The Tribune,  Justice Harpreet Singh Brar said that an officer from the Punjab Police cadre would not be involved in the investigation.

The court, at the onset asked, the State of Punjab to specify whether it wanted a consent-based order or one on merit.

According to reports, the High Court has asked Chandigarh Police to complete probe in 4 months and submit report.

The relatives of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, who was reportedly beaten up by 12 Punjab Police officers last month, have allegedly declined to withdraw their case despite promises of a proper investigation and the transfer of Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nanak Singh.

According to sources cited in an Indian Express report, the message was conveyed to the family in Army channels, mentioning that SSP Nanak Singh would be shifted. It further mentioned that an SIT would carry out a fair inquiry if the Colonel withdrew his petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The family is, nevertheless, insisting on a CBI probe.

Colonel Bath, currently posted at the Army headquarters in Delhi, and his son Angad Singh Bath were reportedly attacked, unprovoked by police personnel, including four Inspectors, near Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala during the intervening night of March 13 and 14.  The Colonel had a dislocated arm, while his son had a fractured nose.

On Monday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had assured the family that justice would be delivered in the case. This was stated by Colonel Bath's wife Jasvinder Kaur after she met Mann here.

Kaur  also said the chief minister will be holding a meeting with officials in this regard. "When CM Mann gave an assurance, I felt hopeful. Mann sahab placed his hand on my head and said 'daughter, you will get justice'. During the meeting, he had said one of his OSDs will reach out to us with an update yesterday," she told Hindustan Times.

The Colonel and his family also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday to discuss the developments in the case, according to The Tribune.