Earlier in the day, the Government of Punjab, appointed Paramvir Singh, an Indian Administrative Service officer, as an inquiry officer to probe the incident.
Meanwhile, military veterans have decided to hold a protest in Patiala on March 22 if justice is not done.
On behalf of his force , Dr. Nanak Singh , the Senior Superintendent of Police of Patiala District had apologised about the unfortunate incident and promised strict action against the accused police personnel. He ordered the suspension of the police personnel involved in the incident and announced a departmental inquiry in the case. He had said that the inquiry will be completed within 45 days but the Army officer’s family is not satisfied with the action taken in the case so far.
The victim Colonel’s family has raised many questions on the police leadership which tried to remain soft in this matter. It is clear that Colonel’s family do not trust the state police in this case.
Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath is an Indian Army officer and posted in Army Headquarters in Delhi. The incident occurred on March 13 at a roadside eatery near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. Caught on CCTV the incident soon got viral on social media.
Jaswinder Kaur Bath, the wife of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, their son and few relatives met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and demanded that a CBI probe be ordered. Mrs. Kaur raised the issue of the names of the accused police officers missing in the FIR. She also informed the Governor that the police have not yet revealed their names despite suspending them.
The state government appointed IAS officer Paramvir Singh, who is the commissioner of Patiala Municipal Corporation, as an inquiry officer to probe the incident that took place on the intervening night of March 13 and 14.
What happened on March 13 :
The altercation reportedly began when police personnel, wearing civilian clothes, asked Colonel Bath to move his vehicle in the parking outside an eatery. This led to a heated exchange between them and resulted in a bad situation. The policemen started kicking and punching Colonel Bath. They also used baseball bats to thrash him and his son.
Why so many police personnel were there:
According to local media reports , the policemen involved in the case were on their way to the hospital after an encounter with kidnappers in which a 7-year-old child was rescued and an accused was shot dead.
What does the Bath family say:
Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath’s wife, Jaswinder Bath, recounted the entire events at a press conference in Patiala. She said that while the family was standing outside the car and eating food, the police asked her husband to move his car to make space for their vehicles.
Mrs. Bath alleged that when her husband objected to their language, one of the policemen punched him. “Later, all the police personnel thrashed my husband and my son, leaving them injured,” said Jaswinder.
The police response:
The police have registered an FIR on the statement of an eatery owner, and a probe is underway. Dr. Nanak Singh , the SSP of Patiala said that 12 police personnel have been suspended in the case of assault with an Army officer and his son. Orders for a departmental inquiry have also been issued against all the police personnel, which will be completed in 45 days.
