CBI Files Case in Colonel Bath Attack; SCI Denies DIG Bhullar Bail

On the night of 13–14 Mar 2025, Panjab police officers assaulted a senior Army officer Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, and his son, Angad Singh, over a car parking issue in Patiala. Though the Patiala police had filed a First Information Report (FIR) against four police officers in July 2025, Colonel Bath's family approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC). The PHHC transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Five months later, the CBI has now filed a fresh case in its court at Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS Nagar). According to the chargesheet, Inspector Ronnie Singh is the main accused in the case. Colonel Bath has accused police personnel of assaulting him and his son over a parking dispute. In his complaint, he alleged that the assailants—four inspector-rank officers of the Panjab Police and their armed subordinates—attacked him and his son without provocation, snatched his identity card and mobile phone, and threatened him with a ‘fake encounter’, all in public view and under CCTV camera coverage. The prosecution has pressed grievous hurt and wrongful restraint charges but threat to murder does not figure in the charges. Colonel Bath's wife, Jasvinder Kaur Bath has raised allegations against the police officers over the kidnap and encounter of Jaspreet Singh who was a Khanna child kidnapping case accused and was killed in a police encounter in Nabha area on 13 Mar. Jaspreet’s family had to withdraw its case under pressure. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India has refused to entertain suspended Panjab Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar’s petition seeking a stay on the CBI probe into two FIRs lodged against him in a disproportionate assets case. While dismissing the petition, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said, 'It's better we don't open our mouths. Don't invite harsh observations from us.' Concurrently, ten Indian young men who had gone abroad to earn a livelihood and later joined the Russian army in its war against Ukraine have been confirmed dead. Among them, three are from Panjab, and the other seven are from Uttar Pradesh and Jammu (earlier coverage).