Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday pulled up the Punjab police over the delay in the registration of the first information report (FIR) in Col Pushpinder Singh Bath’s assault case.
Looking askance at the state police stance when it attempted to justify the delay in the registration of the FIR was in the wake of farmers’ protests, the high court asked the police about the number of FIRs registered across Patiala district during the period.
The state’s action against the accused cops by suspending them, also failed to convince the bench of Justice Sandeep Moudgil, who asserted that police is not obliging anyone by suspending the accused cops, and asked the state to file an affidavit specifying how many FIRs were registered in Patiala during from March 18 to 23.
Asking the state why the officers were at the parking area and where did they come from at that hour, the bench also rejected the state’s prayer for more time to prove its bonafides by carrying out a fair investigation.
Stating that police had a period before the registration of FIR, Justice Moudgil observed that it shows no faith in the investigation agency and what it will do in future is unknown.
For record, Col Bath had moved the high court on March 25 last, alleging brutal assault by Punjab police officers and the subsequent efforts to manipulate the investigation.
It may be recalled that Col Bath and his son were allegedly assaulted by a group of accused Punjab police personnel on the intervening night of March 13 and 14 when the two were having food at a roadside “dhaba’’ (eatery) near Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala.
The accused cops – who were in civil dress and allegedly drunk but had come in their official police vehicles, rudely asked the army officer to move his car as they wanted to park theirs. They reportedly assaulted them when Col Bath objected to their rude tone. The entire incident was recorded in a CCTV camera installed at the “dhaba’’.
The police earlier refused to register an FIR and later allegedly attempted to hide the names of some cops. The case came to light after army officer’s wife addressed newspersons in Chandigarh and Patiala with CCTV footages and also the recording done by her in her phone showing some of ther accused apologising for the assault stating “they did not know the person they beat up was an army officer’’.
It was after four days of the incident that the senior police officials also apologised and assured the army that they had suspended the erring cops – who included inspectors Harry Boparai, Ronnie Singh and Harjinder Dhillon, besides nine other personnel including their gunmen.
However, the police presented a statement given by the “dhaba’’ (eatery) owner claiming that the army officer and his son were drinking and people who came in two cars had a scuffle over parking their vehicles.
