"Shocking Attack on Army Officer and Son in Patiala Provokes Anger"
The attack took place outside a roadside restaurant close to the hospital, where the officer and son had stopped to take a break.
"Shocking Attack on Army Officer and Son in Patiala Provokes Anger" latest news: Early on March 14, a shocking act of violence was reported in Patiala, Punjab, when a senior Army official, Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, and his son were reportedly attacked by three Punjab Police inspectors. The alleged 45-minute assault left the officer with a broken arm and his son with serious head injuries. Both victims are receiving treatment at Rajendra Hospital in Patiala.
The attack took place outside a roadside restaurant close to the hospital, where the officer and son had stopped to take a break. Three police officers in plainclothes, the family said, came to the scene and requested the officer to shift his vehicle to provide space for their own car. When Colonel Bath protested at their attitude, one of them allegedly punched him. His son Angad Singh, who attempted to intervene, was also brutally attacked.
Angad described the traumatic experience, saying, "They asked us to move our car, and when my father protested their tone, an officer hit him. When I tried to intervene, they hit me too. They beat us with sticks, rods, and baseball bats. My father and I passed out, and when we woke up, they continued to beat us. We were beaten for at least 45 minutes."
The matter took a turn for the worse when Angad also accused the officers of being drunk. "They beat me further when I told them they were drunk. We have been attempting to get an FIR registered for two days, but the police are not cooperating. They did not bring the accused before us. We are also receiving threat calls," he claimed.
Colonel Bath's wife, Jaswinder Bath, described her distress, saying that her husband had introduced himself as an Army officer at the time of the scuffle, but the police officers did not listen. "They were standing outside the car and eating when these police officers came and told my husband to shift his car. When he protested at their language, one of them punched him. Then all of them beat up my husband and my son," she said.
The family alleges it has CCTV footage of the attack as proof. No action was initially taken, but increasing public pressure forced the suspension of 12 police officers, two STF SHOs and one City Kotwali SHO. Patiala SSP Dr. Nanak Singh ordered a departmental inquiry against the suspended officers, which will be done within 45 days. "We regret the encounter with the Army officer and convey our utmost respect to him," SSP Singh declared.
Top army officials from Delhi have also called on the hospital to gauge the situation and administer justice to the victims. Widespread outcry has erupted about the incident with many demanding stiff action against the accused officers as well as proper investigation into the case.
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