The Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Credit; PTI File Photo
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday marked a probe into the assault case of an Army colonel to the Chandigarh Police, and also issued directions to complete the investigation within four months.
The direction came on a plea by Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, who accused 12 Punjab Police personnel of assaulting him and his son over a parking dispute, seeking transfer of the probe to the CBI or another independent agency.
After the hearing in the matter, advocate Deepinder Singh Virk, one of the petitioner's counsel, said that Justice Harpreet Singh Brar handed over the colonel's assault case to Chandigarh Police. The probe will be conducted by a senior IPS officer, he said.
The court also stated that no Punjab cadre police officer will be involved in the investigation team, said the counsel.
Virk said the probe will be completed within four months.
Colonel Bath's wife Jasvinder Kaur Bath said she was satisfied with the court order.
Punjab Police had formed a special investigation team headed by Additional Director General of Police A S Rai to probe the incident.
Colonel Bath, who has accused 12 Punjab Police personnel of assaulting him and his son over a parking dispute, on Monday filed his plea in the high court.
The alleged incident took place on the intervening night of March 13 and 14, when Colonel Bath and his son were having food at a roadside dhaba in Patiala.
Bath has alleged that the alleged assailants -- four inspector-rank officers of Punjab Police and their armed subordinates -- attacked him and his son without provocation, snatched his ID card and mobile phone, and threatened him with a "fake encounter" -- all in public view and under CCTV camera coverage.
Bath has further alleged in the plea that a fair investigation was "impossible" under Punjab Police.
It was asserted on behalf of the petitioner before the court that Colonel Bath was on a deputation from the Army to a sensitive post under the Government of India and the Punjab Police officers were made aware of this fact as well as the risk of leakage of sensitive information pertaining to national importance, which was present in the mobile phone of the petitioner.