The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea against the transfer of probe to the CBI over the alleged assault of a colonel by Punjab Police personnel over a parking dispute in March and said, "You are sleeping peacefully in your house because Army is serving at the border".
The alleged incident took place on the intervening night of March 13 and 14 when Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son were eating at a roadside dhaba (eatery) in Patiala.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma dismissed the appeal filed by the accused police officers against an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
"When the war is going on, you glorify these Army officers...Have some respect for Army people. You are sleeping peacefully in your house because Army is serving the border at -40 degrees..." The bench went on, "We are going to dismiss this appeal with heavy cost. This kind of lawlessness is not acceptable. Let the CBI look into this...They go and defend you, and they come back wrapped in a national flag." Advocate Sumeer Sodhi appeared for Colonel Bath in the matter.
The accused police officers moved the top court against the high court order of July 16 transferring the investigation to the CBI.
The court's directive came two days after the high court reprimanded Chandigarh Police over its probe into the matter.
On April 3, the high court marked the probe into the assault case to Chandigarh Police and directed it to complete the investigation within four months.
The petitioner submitted that Chandigarh Police "failed" to conduct a free and fair investigation in the case.
The investigation was being conducted by a special investigation team, led by Chandigarh Superintendent of Police Manjeet Sheoran.
"The investigation of the instant case was transferred to the Chandigarh Police on April 3, 2025, and it is being stated with utmost disappointment that even despite lapse of more than three-and-a-half months of the registration of the FIR and lapse of three months since the investigation has been handed over to Chandigarh Police, neither a single accused has been arrested so far, nor any accused has been associated with the investigation," the petition had submitted.
"Moreover, the contention of the petitioner regarding any conscious effort on the part of the investigating agency can be cemented from the fact that no non bailable warrant, no PO (proclaimed offender) proceeding or any other legal proceeding which would be indicative of some conscious and sincere effort, has been initiated on the part of the concerned Investigating agency," it submitted.
Colonel Bath has accused 12 Punjab Police personnel of assaulting him and his son over the parking dispute and sought transfer of the probe to an independent agency, preferably the CBI.
He alleged four inspector-rank officers of Punjab Police and their armed subordinates attacked him and his son without provocation, snatched his ID card and cell phone, and threatened him with a "fake encounter" -- all in public view and under CCTV camera coverage.
Before the probe was handed over to Chandigarh Police, Bath alleged that a fair investigation was impossible under Punjab Police.
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