The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally submitted a chargesheet in a Mohali court against four personnel of the Punjab Police. The case pertains to the alleged assault on Colonel Pushpinder Bath and his son earlier this year. The agency has named Inspector Ronnie Singh as the principal accused in the document.
From Attempted Murder to Grievous Hurt: Key Charges Revised
In a significant development, the central investigative body has decided not to pursue charges of attempted murder against the accused policemen. Instead, the chargesheet invokes sections for 'causing grievous hurt' and 'wrongful restraint'. This marks a shift from the initial First Information Report (FIR).
The incident that triggered this legal battle occurred on the intervening night of March 13-14. Colonel Bath and his son were at a roadside eatery in Patiala when a dispute over parking space escalated violently. According to the family's account, a group of men, later identified as police officers in plain clothes, asked them to move their vehicle. The argument soon turned physical, leading to an assault where more than a dozen personnel allegedly beat the Army officer and his son with rods and sticks, injuring both.
The FIR in this case was registered eight days later, on March 22, based on the Colonel's formal complaint.
A Tangled Probe: From Patiala Police to CBI
The investigation's path has been convoluted, marked by allegations of bias and shielding. Initially, the Patiala police named Inspectors Harry Boparai, Ronnie Singh, and Harjinder Dhillon in the FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections for attempted murder, causing hurt, wrongful restraint, and criminal intimidation. Another inspector was added later on charges of rioting and insulting a religion.
Dissatisfied with the progress, Colonel Bath approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court, on April 3, transferred the case to the Chandigarh Police for a supposedly impartial probe. However, by July 14, the Colonel filed another petition, accusing the Chandigarh Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) of actively 'shielding' the accused officers.
The High Court's response was swift and scathing. On July 16, Justice Rajesh Bhardwaj handed over the case to the CBI, declaring the Chandigarh Police's investigation as 'tainted'. The judge remarked that there were 'no prospects of a free and fair investigation' by the state police. Justice Bhardwaj went further, stating, 'The court is convinced that the investigating agency is not only trying to create loopholes in the investigation but trying to make craters in the investigation so as to ensure that once the chargesheet is filed before the court, the case of the prosecution should hardly be able to crawl in court.'
Accused 'Resurface' and Get New Postings
In a controversial move that raised eyebrows, the four accused police officers, who were under suspension, reported for duty at new postings approximately a week after the High Court's strong criticism. This occurred despite police previously telling the court that all accused were 'untraceable'.
The Bath family criticized this development, suggesting the officers 'surfaced' deliberately to avoid being declared 'proclaimed offenders' (POs). As per the new assignments:
- Inspector Ronnie Singh, now the principal accused, joined duty in Barnala.
- Inspector Harry Boparai was posted in Malerkotla.
- Inspectors Harjinder Dhillon and Shaminder were assigned to Sangrur.
The filing of the CBI chargesheet is a critical next step in a case that has highlighted issues of police accountability and the pursuit of justice. All eyes are now on the Mohali court as it processes the document and decides the future course of this high-profile legal proceeding.
