The wife of an army Colonel, who has accused 12 Punjab police personnel of assaulting him and his son over a parking dispute, started a sit-in protest along with ex-servicemen outside the Patiala Deputy Commissioner's office on Saturday to press for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe.
The incident had snowballed into a major controversy after Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath's wife Jasvinder Kaur Bath accused the police of refusing to file an FIR on their complaint.
Amid outrage, Punjab Police went into damage control mode on Friday -- setting up a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT), filing a fresh FIR based on the the army officer's statement and suspending 12 personnel allegedly involved in the episode.
However, the family of the Colonel was on Saturday adamant about their demands for a CBI probe and the transfer of Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh. Jasvinder had accused Singh of failing to take action on their multiple requests to file an FIR.
Despite Patiala Deputy Commissioner (DC) Preeti Yadav assuring them of a fair and transparent probe, the family refused to lift the 'dharna' and said it would continue until their demands were met.
Referring to the assault incident, Yadav said it was unfortunate. "It is a matter of investigation. Whatever I could do, I did. The purpose of my visit to you is that the message should go across that whatever will happen, it will be in a fair and transparent manner.
"Whatever investigation will take place, that will be a fair one. I will ensure it. I request that you are my elders. As a district magistrate, it is my request that whatever will happen, it will be right. We stand by the family," she said.
"I urge you, kindly end this morcha," said the DC.
However, Jasvinder pointed out that the FIR was lodged only after they announced their protest.
"Bhagwant Mann saab cannot even shift one SSP. Does the government not have time to just write that the CBI inquiry is marked? Until these demands are met, we will not leave from here," she said.
"It is a peaceful 'morcha'. One of my family members will sit in the 'morcha' for 24 hours," the Colone's wife said.
Earlier, BJP leader and former MP Preneet Kaur, who joined the protest, strongly condemned the incident.
"As a citizen of India and the wife of an ex-Army officer (former chief minister Amarinder Singh), I stand in complete solidarity with the assaulted officer and family. I demand an impartial probe, so that the guilty get proper punishment," she said.
"It is deeply saddening how police officers brutally beat up a serving Army Colonel and his son that night. Even if it had been a common citizen, such an incident would have been condemnable but for this to happen to an Army officer is completely unacceptable. I urge the government to stop dragging its feet and deliver justice to the family," said Kaur.
Speaking to reporters in Patiala, Kaur said Army officials should be included in the SIT.
"Since the Army is involved, the government is involved and the police force is also involved. A joint SIT should be formed with Army and police officials, and a judge involved," she said.
"The way the Punjab Police harassed the family -- failing to file an FIR against the officers despite CCTV evidence and the family's statement -- is shameful.
"Our soldiers dedicate their lives to the nation, yet they are being treated as second-class citizens. I stand in complete solidarity with the family in their demand for justice and call for an impartial probe so that the guilty are properly punished," said the former MP.
The alleged incident took place on the intervening night of March 13 and 14, when Colonel Bath and his son were having food at a roadside eatery near Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala.
The family alleged that some police officers in civil dress asked the Colonel to move his car, as they had to park theirs. When the Colonel objected to their rude tone, the officers thrashed him and his son. The Colonel's arm was broken, and his son suffered a long cut on his head.
The Colonel's wife had on Thursday met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, who spoke to the state DGP and advised him to register an FIR on the Colonel's statement.
Punjab Police on Friday said it has registered an FIR at Civil Lines police station.
"Colonel Bath's statement names the police officers who assaulted him and details their roles in the assault," a statement said on Friday evening.
An SIT consisting of SPS Parmar, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order); Sandeep Malik, Senior Superintendent of Police, Hoshiarpur, and Manpreet Singh, Superintendent of Police (Rural), SAS Nagar has been constituted to investigate the incident.
A Punjab Police spokesperson said that Patiala Range DIG has been instructed to immediately transfer the police officers concerned. All the 12 officers have been placed under suspension and departmental proceedings initiated against them, he added.
The Additional Director General of Police (Security), Punjab, has been directed to provide protection to Colonel Bath's family.
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