Chandigarh (National Times): The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday summoned the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Chandigarh Police over a petition demanding that the investigation into the alleged assault of a Colonel by Punjab Police officials be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The petition, filed by Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, alleges inaction and bias by the Chandigarh Police, which was tasked with probing the case. Colonel Bath, who is posted at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi, claimed that he and his son were brutally attacked by four Punjab Police inspectors and their armed subordinates on the night of March 13, without any provocation, while in Punjab.
Hearing the matter, Justice Rajesh Bhardwaj issued a notice to the Union Territory of Chandigarh and scheduled the next hearing for July 16. The High Court had earlier, in April, directed that the investigation be handed over to Chandigarh Police and completed within four months. At that time, the court had also expressed dissatisfaction with the Punjab government’s delay in arresting the accused police officers.
In response to concerns over potential bias, the court had previously ordered that the investigation be led by an IPS officer from the AGMUT cadre, explicitly ruling out involvement of any Punjab cadre officer. Recently, the High Court described the incident as “horrific” and “gut-wrenching,” and rejected the pre-arrest bail pleas of the Punjab Police officers accused in the case.
During the latest hearing, counsel for Colonel Bath pointed out that although the bail was denied on May 23, no significant progress had been made in the arrest or interrogation of the accused. The counsel further alleged that the Chandigarh Police appeared to be shielding their Punjab counterparts and hinted at a possible cover-up involving senior officials.
In response, the UT counsel reminded the court that another bench had granted them until early August to complete the investigation. However, the bench voiced displeasure over the slow pace of the probe, and demanded that the SIT chief personally appear before the court with the complete police case file at the next hearing.
The case continues to raise serious questions about police accountability, inter-agency impartiality, and the protection of citizens — even those in uniform — from alleged misuse of power. The court’s next steps are likely to determine whether the case will be handed over to the CBI as requested by the petitioner.
