3 inspectors among 12 cops suspended
2 days after Patiala police register an FIR against unidentified men for a brawl near Rajindra Hospital, an army officer and his wife allege police brutality
Twelve police officials, including three inspectors, have been suspended and a departmental probe ordered against them after they allegedly beat up an army officer and his son following an altercation.
This comes two days after the Patiala police registered an FIR against unidentified men for a brawl near Rajindra Hospital, after an army officer alleged assault.
Patiala SSP Nanak Singh told The Tribune that 12 policemen had been suspended with immediate effect. “We will probe the matter in detail and justice will be done. We will not spare anyone,” he said.
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Sources say those suspended are inspectors Harry Boparai, Ronnie Singh and Harjinder Dhillon besides the nine other cops named in the complaint.
Colonel Pushpinder Bath, currently posted at the army headquarters in New Delhi, alleged that he was assaulted on the night of March 13. He, along with his son, is undergoing treatment as they were allegedly attacked by policemen “posted in Patiala”.
While police registered the FIR against unidentified people, the family of the army officer accused police officials of assaulting the father and son. It was learnt that the police personnel were in civilian clothes when the scuffle broke out and were on their way to the hospital following an encounter with kidnappers in which a seven-year-old child was rescued and an accused shot dead.
However, one of the policemen accused by the army officer of assaulting them, claimed that it was the colonel and his son who attacked them. “They were inebriated and attacked us,” he claimed.
Police officials say they have registered an FIR on the statement of a dhaba owner and a probe is on.
Addressing a press conference in Patiala, Jaswinder Bath, wife of Col Pushpinder Bath, had claimed that her husband, along with their son, reached a dhaba near Rajindra Hospital. She claimed that while they were standing outside the car and having food, the cops reached there and asked the colonel to remove his car as they had to park their car there.
“When my husband objected to their tone, one of them punched him. Later, the police personnel beat up my husband and son leaving them injured,” alleged Jaswinder. “Police are playing a partisan role despite the CCTV footage and the accused cops having been identified by us,” she claimed.
Patiala SSP Nanak Singh said the Punjab Police respects the Indian Army and that he “regrets the incident of some cops allegedly beating a colonel”.
“We have suspended them and a probe has been ordered. We will complete the investigation in 45 days and based on the evidence we will take action,” he said.
The Tribune
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