Punjab and Haryana High Court transfers Colonel Bath assault case to CBI

CBI

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has transferred the investigation in the Colonel Bath assault case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

While speaking about the case, Colonel Bath's lawyer Pushpinder Singh Ahluwalia said, “The court found the police investigation tainted. Hence, it decided to transfer the case to the CBI."

The reports said that the High Court bench of Justice Rajesh Bhardwaj was allegedly dissatisfied with the pace of the investigation by the police personnel who were handling the case.

Reportedly, the court once orally observed, "The special investigation team (of the police) is creating loopholes to give benefit of doubt to the accused officers." Further, the court reportedly questioned the SIT that was led by the SP of the Chandigarh Police, Manjeet Sheoran, over how it proposed to drop the charge of attempt to murder from the case.

The court also questioned what steps the SIT had taken after the dismissal of the anticipatory bail plea of one of the accused inspectors, Ronnie Singh.

The SIT had earlier assured the court that a fair probe was underway and that it would be completed within the stipulated time frame.

Meanwhile, Colonel Bath had filed a fresh petition on Monday, alleging that there was "reticence and reluctance” to impartially investigate the FIR. He also demanded that the probe be withdrawn from it and be entrusted to either senior officers of Chandigarh Police or the CBI.

Colonel Bath assault case

On the night of March 13, Colonel Bath and his son were allegedly assaulted by four Punjab Police inspectors and their armed subordinates over a parking dispute. The incident allegedly took place while Colonel Bath and his son had stopped for a meal at a roadside eatery near Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala.

Reportedly, the policemen in civvies approached them and asked the Colonel to move his vehicle so that they could park theirs. However, the matter escalated when the Colonel objected to their rude tone, following which one of the police officers allegedly punched him, and soon the other policemen started thrashing his son and him.

In the incident, the Colonel’s arm was broken, and his son suffered a cut on his head. The Chandigarh Police took over the case on April 3.