Patiala: Twelve Punjab Police personnel, including three inspectors, were on Monday placed under suspension for thrashing an Army colonel and his son over a parking dispute in Patiala on Saturday.
A departmental inquiry has also been ordered against the cops.
The incident took place outside a roadside eatery near Rajendra Hospital. The Army officer and his son, who had stopped for refreshments, were approached by three police officers in plain clothes and asked to move their car so they could park at that spot. When the colonel objected to their tone, one of them punched him. His son, who tried to intervene, was also assaulted with sticks, rods and baseball bats.
“My father and I fainted… When we woke up, they were still beating us. We were assaulted for at least 45 minutes,” the officer’s son said.
There was public outrage ss CCTV footage of the inhuman attack surfaced on social media. Retired army officers condemned the incident and demanded strict action against those police in the attack.
Disgraceful behavior by @PunjabPoliceInd!
A serving Army Colonel was brutally assaulted by Patiala Police officers, yet no proper action has been taken despite CCTV evidence. pic.twitter.com/UIsuXAgm5a— Balbir Singh Sidhu (@BalbirSinghMLA) March 17, 2025
Expressing regret and apologising for the incident, Patiala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nanak Singh said that the 12 policemen, including inspectors Harry Boparai, Ronnie Singh and Harjinder Dhillon, had been suspended with immediate effect.
“The matter is being probed in detail and justice will be done,” the SSP said.
Col Pushpinder Bath, posted at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi, is undergoing treatment at Patiala’s Military Hospital.
Allegedly kicked in the face, his left arm was broken and he suffered injuries on the back also.
An FIR was initially registered against unidentified people.
“The police did not name the personnel as accused in the case initially. Moreover, the FIR was registered only after senior army officers intervened,” Col Bath said.
Following the widespread protests, the police personnel were brought to book.
