Punjab Government has initiated a high-level investigation into the shocking assault on Colonel Pushpinder Bath, a serving Army officer, and his 24-year-old son Angad Singh by police officials in Patiala on March 13. The probe, to be completed within three weeks, will be led by IAS officer Paramvir Singh, who has been appointed as the Inquiry Officer. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with demands for accountability and justice growing louder. 

Colonel Bath, currently posted at the Army headquarters in New Delhi, alleged that he and his son were brutally attacked by policemen near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. The family has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the police’s handling of the case and plans to meet the Punjab Governor to seek redressal. The State Government has assured a fair and impartial inquiry, acknowledging the gravity of the incident. 

In response to the public outcry, the police have suspended 12 personnel, including three inspectors, linked to the assault. However, the Bath family and their supporters are demanding stricter action, including the arrest of the accused officers and the filing of an FIR based on Colonel Bath’s complaint. Gurtej Dhillon, a BJP leader and relative of the family, emphasized that the suspension of the policemen is insufficient and called for immediate arrests. 

Angad Singh, who sustained injuries in the attack, lamented that no police official has visited them or recorded their statement. Meanwhile, Jaswinder Bath, Colonel Pushpinder’s wife, criticized the Patiala police for their partisan role, pointing out that the names of the suspended officers remain undisclosed. She warned that if a serving Army officer can face such brutality, the common man’s safety is in serious jeopardy. 

The incident has galvanized veterans and citizens alike, with a protest planned outside the DC office in Patiala on March 22.