Chandigarh, March 28 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has rebuked the Punjab government for justifying the delay in registering an FIR in the assault case of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath by citing farmers’ protests.
The court questioned the police on the number of FIRs registered in Patiala district during the March 18–23 period, when farmers were protesting at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders.
Justice Sandeep Moudgil directed the State to file an affidavit detailing the FIR count and asked whether suspending four accused police officers and transferring four inspectors was sufficient action. The court dismissed the State’s plea for more time, asserting it was merely “buying time” and not demonstrating genuine investigative intent.
Col Bath, serving at a sensitive post under the Cabinet Secretariat, GOI, alleged that Punjab Police officers brutally assaulted him and his son on March 13-14 in Patiala. He claimed the officers snatched his ID card and phone, issued fake encounter threats, and later manipulated the investigation. Despite distress calls, police initially filed a bogus FIR under ‘affray’ against unknown persons, only registering Bath’s complaint eight days later.
Bath’s plea seeks the transfer of the case to the CBI or an independent agency, citing police bias, evidence suppression, and a potential breach of classified information.
