Colonel assault case: CBI drops murder bid charge; SIT accused of 'shielding' policemen

MOHALI: CBI has filed a chargesheet successful a Mohali tribunal against 4 Punjab Police unit successful transportation with the battle connected Colonel Pushpinder Bath, naming an inspector arsenic the premier accused.The cardinal bureau has dropped charges of attempted execution and alternatively invoked charges for 'causing grievous hurt' and 'wrongful restraint'. The chargesheet names inspector Ronnie Singh arsenic 'principal accused' successful the case. On the intervening nighttime of March 13-14 this year, a radical of policemen, successful civilian clothes, thrashed Colonel Bath and his lad implicit a parking quality successful Patiala.

Colonel Bath accused SIT of 'shielding' accused policemenThe Armyman and his lad were lasting beside their car astatine a roadside eatery erstwhile a radical of men, aboriginal identified arsenic cops successful civilian clothes, asked him to determination his conveyance to marque abstraction for theirs. The household has alleged that this speech escalated into violence, pursuing which much than a twelve constabulary unit assaulted Colonel Bath and his lad with rods and sticks, injuring some of them. The FIR was registered 8 days aboriginal connected the Colonel's complaint. Initially, Patiala constabulary named inspectors Harry Boparai, Ronnie Singh and Harjinder Dhillon successful the FIR nether BNS sections for attempted murder, causing hurt, wrongful restraint and transgression intimidation.

Another inspector's sanction was added connected charges of rioting and insulting a religion. Dissatisfied with the probe, Col Bath approached Punjab and Haryana precocious court, which handed the lawsuit to Chandigarh Police connected April 3. On July 14, the Colonel filed a petition successful HC, accusing Chandigarh SIT of 'shielding' the accused cops. On July 16, HC handed the lawsuit to CBI, remarking that Chandigarh Police probe was "tainted" and determination were "no prospects of a escaped and just investigation".

"The tribunal is convinced that the investigating bureau is not lone trying to make loopholes successful the probe but trying to marque craters successful the probe truthful arsenic to guarantee that erstwhile the chargesheet is filed earlier the court, the lawsuit of the prosecution should hardly beryllium capable to crawl successful court," Justice Rajesh Bhardwaj said successful his scathing remarks.

Around a week aft this, 4 accused cops, who were suspended till then, reported astatine their caller postings. Thus far, constabulary had told the tribunal that each of them were "untraceable". Col Bath's household criticised the rejoining, saying the officers had 'surfaced' to debar being declared 'proclaimed offenders' (POs).