Probes Stall in Assault Case of Colonel Pushpinder Bath; Family Seeks CBI Investigation
Eleven days after the alleged assault of Colonel Pushpinder Bath and his son by 12 policemen in Patiala, three separate investigations initiated in the past week have shown little progress, sources revealed. Despite departmental and government-level inquiries, authorities have yet to establish a clear timeline of events from the night of March 13.
The statements of Colonel Bath and his son Angad Bath have not yet been recorded, raising serious concerns for the family. “We want nothing short of a CBI probe and will wait for our meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Strict action must be taken against the officials responsible,” said Jaswinder Kaur, wife of Colonel Bath.
Initially, the Patiala police ordered a departmental inquiry into the incident, which was followed by the Home Department appointing IAS officer Paramvir Singh to lead a separate investigation, with a 21-day deadline. Subsequently, the state government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) after registering a fresh FIR based on Colonel Bath’s statement.
On March 17, Patiala SSP Nanak Singh suspended 12 policemen, including three inspectors, and assured that the departmental probe would be concluded within 45 days. SP (Headquarters) Harwant Kaur confirmed that show-cause notices had been issued to the accused officers and that statements from all parties would be recorded soon.
Further, the Punjab Government’s time-bound administrative inquiry began on March 20, led by IAS officer Paramvir Singh. “We have summoned the concerned individuals and will begin recording their statements shortly,” Singh said.
In response to mounting pressure and Jaswinder Kaur’s announcement to hold a dharna demanding a CBI probe, the state government escalated the matter by forming an SIT on March 21 and registering a fresh FIR. The FIR named three inspectors under Sections 109, 310, 155(2), 117(2), 126(2), and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), with a fourth inspector added under Sections 299 and 191.
The SIT, comprising ADGP (Law and Order) SPS Parmar, Hoshiarpur SSP Sandeep Malik, and Mohali (Rural) SP Manpreet Singh, is expected to visit Patiala in the coming days to collect evidence.
Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court is set to hear Colonel Bath’s petition today, in which he has sought a transfer of the investigation to the CBI or another independent agency.
In a related development, Colonel Bath’s family has agreed to lift the dharna outside the District Administrative Complex after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann consented to meet them on March 31.
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