12 Patiala cops suspended for allegedly assaulting army officer and son; inquiry to conclude in 45 days

PATIALA: The police in Patiala suspended 12 cops for allegedly assaulting an Army official and his son, and a case was registered in this regard. Additionally, the SSP of Patiala initiated a departmental inquiry into the matter and promised to complete it within a 45-day period.
Colonel Pushpinder Bath, posted at Army headquarters in New Delhi and currently on deputation at RAW, alleged that he and his son were at a roadside dhaba near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala when some cops assaulted them over a car parking issue on the night of March 13. Both are currently undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital in Patiala. The cops, however, blamed the Army official and his son for attacking them instead. The cops were in civil dress.
As a disciplinary action, Patiala SSP Nanak Singh suspended 12 cops, including three inspectors, and initiated a departmental inquiry against them. The SSP stated that although, according to rules, such an inquiry must be completed within six months, in this sensitive case, the probe was made time-bound and would be completed within 45 days. He assured that a fair investigation would be carried out, with statements from both parties being recorded and probed. The cops, as well as the colonel, have given their statements regarding the matter.
Jaswinder Bath, wife of Col Pushpinder Bath, addressed a press conference in Patiala along with BJP leader Gurtej Singh Dhillon and alleged that her husband and their son reached a dhaba near Rajindra Hospital, where they were having food while standing outside the car on the night of March 13. Some cops arrived and asked the colonel to remove his car as they needed to park theirs. She claimed that the cops assaulted Col Bath and his son after they objected to the tone of the cops.