Punjab Police Faces High Court Scrutiny Over Delay in FIR in Army Officer Assault Case

• Mar 28, 2025

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has strongly criticized the Punjab government’s justification for the delay in registering an FIR in the assault case involving Army officer Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath. The state had cited farmers' protests at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders as a key reason for the delay—an explanation that failed to satisfy the court.

A Bench led by Justice Sandeep Moudgil questioned the credibility of the state’s claims, demanding data on the number of FIRs filed in Patiala district between March 18 and 23, when the district police were allegedly on high alert due to ongoing protests.

The state’s attempt to defend the investigation by pointing to the suspension of four police officers and transfer of four inspectors was also dismissed. “You are not obliging anyone by placing the cops under suspension,” the Bench stated, asking whether this action was adequate.

The court further ordered the state to submit an affidavit clarifying why the involved officers were present at the scene during the incident, their duties, and their movements at the time.

Rejecting the state’s request for more time to conduct a fair probe, Justice Moudgil said, “You are only buying time,” while emphasizing that the delay in filing the FIR raised serious concerns about the integrity of the investigation.

The case stems from a petition filed by Colonel Bath, a senior official under the Cabinet Secretariat, who alleged that he and his son were brutally assaulted by Punjab Police officers on the night of March 13–14 in Patiala. He accused four Inspector-rank officers and their armed subordinates of physically attacking them, snatching his official ID and phone, and threatening him with a fake encounter—all allegedly caught on CCTV.

Despite the severity of the incident, the local police initially failed to act on his complaint. Instead, a counter-FIR was filed under the charge of ‘affray’ based on a third-party report. Colonel Bath claimed his family had to approach top police officials and even the Governor of Punjab before an FIR was finally registered—eight days after the incident.

He has requested that the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or an independent agency, citing manipulation of the investigation by the local police.