Colonel assault case: Punjab and Haryana HC transfers probe to CBI

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has transferred the probe into Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath’s assault case to the CBI, citing Chandigarh Police's failure to ensure a fair investigation. The colonel accused 12 Punjab Police personnel of unprovoked assault

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday transferred the investigation into the alleged assault of a colonel by Punjab Police personnel over a parking dispute to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The alleged incident took place on the intervening night of March 13 and 14 when Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son were having food at a roadside dhaba in Patiala. The court’s directive came two days after the high court reprimanded the Chandigarh police over its probe into the matter.

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The petitioner in its fresh plea sought an independent probe preferably by the CBI into the matter, said his lawyer Deepinder Singh Virk. After the hearing in the matter on Wednesday, the court of Justice Rajesh Bhardwaj then transferred the case to the CBI, the counsel said.

On April 3, the high court marked the probe into the assault case to the Chandigarh Police and directed it to complete the investigation within four months. The petitioner submitted that the Chandigarh Police had “failed” to conduct a free and fair investigation in the case.

“That it is noteworthy to mention that the investigation of the instant case was transferred to the Chandigarh Police on 03.04.2025, and it is being stated with utmost disappointment that even despite lapse of more than three and a half months of the registration of the FIR and lapse of three months since the Investigation has been handed over to the Chandigarh Police, neither a single accused has been arrested so far, nor any accused has been associated with the investigation,” the petition said.

Colonel Bath had accused 12 Punjab Police personnel of assaulting him and his son over the parking dispute and sought a transfer of the probe to an independent agency, preferably the CBI.

He alleged that the assailants — four inspector-rank officers of the 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.

He had also alleged that a fair investigation was impossible under the Punjab Police.