‘Unknown’ cops, missing evidence: CBI finds serious lapses by Patiala police in attack on a serving Army Colonel

The CBI investigation also shows how the Patiala police dragged its feet on the case and refused to register a case on the basis that there had been cross-complaints in the matter. The investigation also reveals that an FIR was registered based on a complaint by the owner of a dhaba, where the attack took place, even though he was not present when the incident occurred.

The CBI investigation is silent on the role of the then DIG Patiala Range Mandeep Singh Sidhu and SSP Patiala Nanak Singh as far as the higher direction of investigation was concerned.

The CBI investigation has revealed that Station House Officer (SHO) Amritveer Singh of Civil Lines Police Station, Patiala, visited the place of occurrence on March 14, 2025. According to him, he found that CCTV of other dhabhas, i.e., Bawa Dhaba, was also covering the place of occurrence. Since the monitor of Bawa Dhaba was not working, he recorded the CCTV footage of Bawa Dhaba for the relevant period in his phone from the mobile phone of the Bawa Dhaba owner, who had access to CCTV footage through DVR.

“The DVR of the said dhaba was found to be missing subsequently. As per the statement of the owner of said dhaba, some unknown policemen came to Bawa Dhaba around 4 pm on March 14, 2025, and took away the same without giving any receipt. Despite efforts, DVR of Bawa Dhaba could not be recovered,” the court order stated, quoting CBI investigation.

During the investigation, the mobile phone of Inspector Amritveer Singh was sent to CFSL, Chandigarh, for forensic examination, as per which the relevant video files were found to be re-recorded from the display monitor, and the display recording was found post-product recording and not stable.

Investigation has also revealed that the statement of Colonel Bath was recorded at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, on March 14 by the police, in which he named Ronni Singh, Hary Boparai, Harjinder Singh Dhillon, Surjeet Singh, Rajbir Singh, and other unknown individuals as assailants.

“The statement was recorded vide DDR entry No.13 dated 14.03.2025, PS-Civil Lines, Patiala. The DDR entry was kept pending, and an enquiry U/s 173 (2) BNSS, 2023 was initiated by the police on the ground that both the parties were leveling allegations against each other,” the court order read.

The investigation found that at the same time, the Patiala Police registered an FIR on March 15 on the complaint of Karanjot Singh, owner of Harbansh Dabha, who was not even present at the spot when the incident occurred. On the other hand, the wife of Colonel Bath, Jaswinder Kaur Bath, rushed from pillar to post to get the case registered on her husband’s statement, but to no avail, the court said.

“Despite the injuries on the bodies of Col Pushpinder Singh Bath and Angad Singh Bath, a detailed statement dated March 14 of Col. Pushpinder Singh Bath on record and availability of CCTV footages, FIR was not registered immediately by the local police,” the court noted.

Case background

The chain of events brought out by the CBI stated that Col. Bath and his son Angad Singh Bath were returning to Patiala from Delhi in their Honda Civic car on the intervening night of March 13 and 14, 2025. They made a halt near Harbansh Dabha, outside Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, around 12.15 am and ordered a meal.

In the meantime, Angad Singh Bath saw the car of his neighbour, Param Angad Talwar, driving past them, and accordingly, he made a call to him asking him to come to Harbansh Dabha. Accordingly, Talwar reached the dabha and stopped his car behind the colonel’s car, which was halfway on the road. While they were having food from a plate placed on the trunk of the car, a group of policemen reached there in three vehicles from the wrong side of the road.

The accused policemen included, Ronni Singh, the then Inspector, SHO, Police Station-Samana, Patiala, Hary Boparai, the then Inspector, I/c Special Cell, Rajpura, Patiala, Harjinder Singh, the then Inspector, I/c Special Cell, Patiala, Shaminder Singh, the then Inspector, CIA, Patiala, Jai Singh, constable, attached to Special Cell, Patiala, and some others policemen.

Since Talwar’s car was parked in a way that obstructed the traffic, Col Pushpinder Singh Bath asked him to pull over to the side of the road. Param Angad Singh Talwar drove his car and parked it near the main gate of Rajindra Hospital.

In the meantime, Inspector Ronni Singh, who was in civilian dress, got down from his vehicle and proceeded towards Col Bath and his son Angad Singh Bath, and picked up an argument over the parking issue. Col Bath requested him to speak politely and even stated that he is a Colonel in the Indian Army, and this is not the way to talk. At this time, Angad Bath proceeded towards his car, and when he tried to get in, Ronny Singh punched the colonel in the face, leaving him with broken spectacles and an injured nose. On seeing this, Angad Bath rushed back to save his father and pushed back Ronni Singh.

At this moment, other accused people, namely Harjinder Singh Dhillon, Hary Boparai, Shaminder Singh and Jai Singh, started thrashing Angad and his father with fists and sticks. Inspector Shaminder Singh and Jai Singh threatened the customers of Harbansh Dabha to vacate the place immediately.

Further, while the colonel managed to sit in the car, Inspector Harjinder Singh Dhillon pulled him by his hair, dragged him out of the vehicle, and assaulted him using sticks. The policemen also vandalised the car of Col Bath. The accused men then fled the spot in their vehicles.