Punjab and Haryana High Court directs Chandigarh Police to probe Colonel Bath ‘assault’ case

The court ruled: “Learned counsel for the petitioner as well as State of Punjab are ad idem (in agreement) that in the facts and circumstances of the case, the investigation of the FIR (supra) may be entrusted to an IPS officer posted in U.T., Chandigarh, not from Punjab Cadre, to resolve the controversy involved in the present petition.”

The court also directed the Director General of Police, Punjab, to give full cooperation to the Investigating Officer.

Col Bath, a serving army officer posted in Delhi, had moved the High Court last week, seeking a CBI probe after the Punjab Police delayed registering an FIR. The incident occurred on the intervening night of March 13 and 14 at Jaswant Dhaba near Rajindra Hospital, where Bath and his family were dining.

According to Col Bath, a group of men confronted them over their car’s parking, leading to an altercation. He alleged that one of them threatened to break their legs before punching him, rendering him unconscious. His son, Angad, was also assaulted. When Col Bath identified himself as an army officer, they allegedly snatched his ID card and phone before continuing the assault.

The Punjab Police registered an FIR only on March 22, despite being informed of the incident the same night. Initially, the Punjab government formed an SIT led by ADGP AS Rai, but the court has now ordered Chandigarh Police to take over.

Justice Brar had on Wednesday granted three-day interim anticipatory bail to Inspector Ronnie Singh Salh, one of the accused police officers, after he moved the court on Tuesday.

Earlier, hearing Col Bath’s petition on March 28, Justice Sandeep Moudgil had expressed strong reservations about the handling of the case by the Punjab Police. The court had noted contradictions in the affidavit submitted by Patiala SSP Nanak Singh, stating that it was “self-contradictory, non-explicit and also an attempt to withhold material information.”

The court had questioned how the police could suspend four inspectors on March 17, 2025 while simultaneously claiming that the identity of the accused was unclear. It also highlighted an “unexplained delay” in registering the FIR, despite multiple calls and a ruqa from Rajindra Hospital on 14.03.2025. The court remarked, “It is hard to believe that the investigating officer visited the spot and hospital multiple times before registering the FIR.”

Further, the court had criticised the police for not examining the CCTV DVR obtained from the Dhaba, stating that its delayed forensic examination “raises serious concerns not only to the parties involved but to the public at large.”

While the Punjab government had sought 15-20 days to conduct a fair probe, the court had directed it to file a detailed affidavit answering specific queries by 02.04.2025.