Punjab and Haryana HC gives 3-day protection from arrest to cop accused of colonel’s assault

In his petition, Ronnie Singh claimed he had been falsely implicated in the case. The petitioner claimed that he, along with a police team, had conducted a raid near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala following intelligence regarding a wanted drug trafficker.

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday gave three days interim protection from arrest to Ronnie Singh, one of the 12 accused police personnel in assault case on Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath on the intervening night of April 13 and 14 in Patiala. He had approached high court on April 1. A bench of justice HS Brar, while giving him three days to approach a trial court, ordered that he not be arrested in the meantime.

The detailed order is awaited. In his petition, Ronnie Singh claimed he had been falsely implicated in the case. The petitioner claimed that he, along with a police team, had conducted a raid near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala following intelligence regarding a wanted drug trafficker.

“During this operation, he encountered individuals consuming alcohol in public and obstructing hospital access. Upon being politely asked to clear passage, these individuals, including Col Pushpinder Bath and his son, reacted aggressively, assaulted the petitioner and created public nuisance,” the petition alleged, adding that the incident was captured on CCTV and has been corroborated by eyewitnesses. He termed himself as a victim of ‘misleading’ social media campaign.

Ṭhe petition of Colonel Bath seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe is also to be taken up by the high court on Thursday..