Punjab and Haryana HC grants three-day interim anticipatory bail to police officer in Col Bath assault case

Advocates GS Ghuman and GPS Ghuman, who filed the petition in the high court on Tuesday, said Ronnie, a former student of YPS, Patiala, was posted as the Station House Officer of Samana at the time of the incident. Ghuman claimed that Inspector Ronnie had gone to the dhaba to apprehend a notorious drug trafficker, Tarsem Singh alias Tunda, who was wanted under the NDPS Act.

Ghuman stated that the petitioner had recorded DDR No. 058 and proceeded with a team to intercept the accused near Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. To maintain discretion, he wore a plain white shirt over his uniform and informed senior officers about the impending raid.

Seeking anticipatory bail, the petitioner asserted that he was not involved in any other case and was willing to join the investigation whenever required. He also alleged that he was being subjected to a media trial that made him feel unsafe.

Ghuman further claimed that while Section 307 had been added to the case, the FIR was silent on any clear motive.

According to the FIR dated March 22, which led to the suspension of the petitioner and 11 others, the police officials were involved in a brawl with Col Bath and his son Angad outside Jaswant Dhaba near Rajindra Hospital on the intervening night of March 13 and 14.

Col Bath alleged that a group of men approached them aggressively, demanding they move their car. One of them allegedly threatened to break their legs and then punched him, causing him to lose consciousness. The attackers then assaulted his son. When Col Bath identified himself as a serving officer, they allegedly snatched his ID card and mobile phone and continued beating him.

Col Bath later moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking a CBI inquiry into the incident.

Earlier, the Punjab government constituted an SIT to investigate the case. ADGP AS Rai, heading the SIT, visited Patiala on Tuesday and shared a phone number for people to provide any information related to the incident.