The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken a decisive step in a high-profile case involving alleged police brutality, filing a formal chargesheet against four serving Punjab Police personnel. The case revolves around the alleged assault on Colonel Pushpinder Bath and his son. The chargesheet was presented before a court in Mohali.
Charges Framed and Key Accused
The federal investigative agency has pressed charges under provisions related to voluntarily causing grievous hurt and wrongful restraint against the accused officials. According to the chargesheet, Inspector Ronnie Singh has been identified as the principal accused in this case. However, in a significant development, the CBI has not included the serious charge of attempt to murder, which was part of the initial First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Patiala Police.
Details of the Alleged Incident
The case pertains to an incident that is alleged to have occurred on the intervening night of March 13 and 14 near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. As per the accounts, Colonel Bath and his son were standing next to their car at a roadside eatery when a group of men, later identified as police personnel in civilian clothes, approached them. The group reportedly asked the Colonel to move his vehicle to make space for theirs.
The situation is said to have quickly escalated into a violent confrontation. The family has alleged that more than a dozen police personnel then assaulted Colonel Bath and his son with rods and sticks, leaving both individuals injured.
Initial FIR and Subsequent Developments
Initially, the Patiala Police had registered an FIR against inspectors Harry Boparai, Ronnie Singh, and Harjinder Dhillon under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). These included Section 109 (attempt to murder), along with provisions for causing hurt, wrongful restraint, and criminal intimidation. Later, another inspector was added to the case under Sections 299 and 191 of the BNS.
The filing of the CBI chargesheet marks a crucial turn in this case, which has attracted considerable public and media attention due to the involvement of police personnel and the subsequent omission of the attempt-to-murder charge at the prosecution stage.
