9 hours Ago By Aman Sood
Twelve police officers, including three inspectors, have been suspended and a departmental probe ordered against them. Two days after the Patiala police registered an FIR against unknown men for a brawl near Government Rajindra Hospital, an army officer and his wife alleged police brutality. Patiala SSP Nanak Singh told The Tribune that 12 policemen have been suspended with immediate effect.
"We will probe the matter in detail and justice will be done. We will not spare anyone," he stated. Sources say those suspended include Hardy Boparai, Ronnie Singh, and Harjinder Dhillon, while nine others named in the complaint by the victims have been suspended.
Colonel Pushpinder Bath, currently posted at the army headquarters in New Delhi, claimed he was assaulted on the intervening night of March 13. He is currently undergoing treatment along with his son who was also attacked allegedly "by policemen posted in Patiala." While police registered an FIR against unidentified people, the family members of the army officer have accused Punjab Police officials of assaulting the father and son.
It has been learnt that the police personnel were in civilian clothes when the scuffle broke out and were on their way to the hospital following an encounter with kidnappers in which a seven-year-old child was rescued and an accused was shot dead. However, one of the policemen, who was accused by the army officer of assaulting him, claimed that it was the colonel and his son who attacked him. "They were inebriated and attacked us," he said.
Police officials say that they have registered an FIR on the statement of a dhaba owner and "a probe is on." While addressing a press conference in Patiala, Jaswinder Bath, wife of Col Pushpinder Bath, claimed that her husband, along with their son, reached a dhaba near Government Rajindra Hospital. She claimed that while they were standing outside the car and having their food, the accused police officers reached the spot and asked the Colonel to remove his car as they had to park their car.
"When my husband objected to their language, one of them punched him. Later, all the police personnel thrashed my husband and my son leaving them injured," said Jaswinder. "Police is playing a partisan role despite CCTV footage and the accused cops identified by us," she said.
"We are looking into the matter and action would be taken," said a senior police official..
