Chandigarh: The Indian Army on Tuesday emphasized the need for a fair, transparent, and time-bound investigation to bring the guilty to justice in the assault case involving Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath. The Colonel had accused 12 Punjab Police personnel of attacking him and his son over a parking dispute on the intervening night of March 13-14 in Patiala.
Colonel Bath has taken legal recourse, filing a plea before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday, demanding the transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or another independent agency, citing concerns about the impartiality of the Punjab Police.
Lt Gen Mohit Wadhwa, Chief of Staff at the Army Western Command headquarters in Chandimandir, reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to ensuring a fair investigation, emphasizing the urgency of a transparent and timely probe. “We reiterate the need for a fair and honest investigation in a transparent and very time-bound manner to punish the guilty and restore the faith in the system,” Lt Gen Wadhwa stated during a joint media briefing with Punjab’s Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
He further stated that the guilty police personnel should face timely and exemplary punishment to preserve the strong bond between the Punjab Police and both serving and retired Army personnel. “I would like to assure all that the Indian Army remains fully committed to pursuing the case to its logical conclusion,” Wadhwa added.
In response, DGP Gaurav Yadav expressed the Punjab Police’s respect for the Indian Army and assured that any individual involved in assaulting the serving officer would be severely dealt with according to the law. He highlighted the swift measures taken by the Punjab Police, including the formation of a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a senior officer to ensure the probe is conducted swiftly and impartially.
Colonel Bath’s legal petition emphasized that a fair investigation could not be expected under the Punjab Police’s oversight, which led to his plea for transferring the case to a more independent agency.
Following the complaint, the Punjab Police registered a fresh FIR on March 22, based on Colonel Bath’s statement. The SIT, headed by the Additional Director General of Police, is now conducting the investigation, aiming to complete it in the shortest possible time. All 12 police personnel implicated in the assault have been suspended, and departmental proceedings for major punishment are underway.
The incident, which occurred outside a dhaba in Patiala, left Colonel Bath and his son “brutally” attacked. Lt Gen Wadhwa revealed that the Army was notified about the assault on March 15, and the Colonel was immediately shifted to a military hospital for treatment. He is currently recuperating from his injuries.
The Army has strongly raised the matter with the highest levels of state administration and the Punjab Police, urging for prompt justice. “The matter was very strongly taken up with the highest echelons of the state administration and Punjab Police for prompt investigation and delivery of justice,” Lt Gen Wadhwa remarked.
The Punjab Police, under the leadership of DGP Yadav, has expressed regret over the actions of its personnel, emphasizing that the incident is an “undesirable aberration” that does not reflect the values upheld by the police force. They have assured the public and the Army that the investigation will be completed expeditiously and that all those responsible will face appropriate legal action.
DGP Yadav also appealed for calm, urging all parties to remain composed to prevent any further disruption. “I assure the serving officers, esteemed veterans, and the public at large, that all possible steps are being taken to ensure that Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath gets due justice,” he concluded.
As the investigation unfolds, both the Army and the Punjab Police are committed to ensuring that justice is served swiftly and fairly, maintaining the integrity of their respective institutions.