The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently questioned the Punjab government over the delay in registering an FIR in the Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath assault case.
Two days after the court’s remarks, Col Bath and his family met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday to discuss the latest developments. The family was informed about the meeting in advance, and a former officer was assigned to notify them of the schedule.
Following the meeting, Col Bath’s wife, Jaswinder Kaur, reiterated her lack of trust in the Patiala police and called for an independent agency to investigate the case.
She confirmed that the family would meet Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday to seek further action. The family shared details of their ordeal with the Defence Minister, highlighting the harassment they have faced.
Along with the Bath couple, their relative and BJP leader from Patiala, Gurtej Singh Dhillon, was also present at the meeting, which lasted about 25 minutes.
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Dhillon stated that the Defence Minister assured them of his support and said that the Army would stand by Col Bath to ensure justice for him and his family.
The case took a legal turn on Friday when Punjab's justification for the delay in registering the FIR—citing the farmers’ protests and other reasons—was met with skepticism by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The court asked the state police to provide details on how many FIRs had been registered in Patiala district during the same period.
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During the hearing, the Bench asked the state to categorically explain whether the actions taken so far were adequate. The court remarked that suspending police officers involved in the case was not an adequate response and questioned the delay in taking concrete legal steps.
In a detailed order, Justice Sandeep Moudgil directed the Punjab government to submit an affidavit specifying the number of FIRs registered in Patiala district between March 18 and March 23, the period when the district police claimed they were on high alert due to farmers’ protests at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders.
Also Read: Army seeks fair probe in Col assault case, says Punjab DGP
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