Colonel Bath and his son were allegedly assaulted by four Punjab Police inspectors and their armed subordinates over a parking dispute outside a dhaba in Patiala on March 13.

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday sought a report on the investigation by Chandigarh Police into the alleged assault on Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath over a parking dispute outside a dhaba in Patiala by Punjab Police personnel on the night of March 13.

The high court bench of justice Rajesh Bhardwaj acted on the plea from Col Bath, who has filed a fresh petition alleging “reticence and reluctance” to impartially investigate the FIR by the Chandigarh Police special investigation team (SIT) and has demanded that probe be withdrawn from the present SIT and entrusted to either senior officers of Chandigarh Police or the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Col Bath and his son were allegedly assaulted by four police inspectors and their armed subordinates when they were at a roadside eatery near Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. His family said the duo was standing outside their car and having food when the policemen in civvies approached them and asked the colonel to move his vehicle so that they could park theirs. When the colonel objected to their rude tone, one of the police officers punched him, and soon the other policemen started thrashing him and his son. The colonel’s arm was broken, and his son suffered a cut on his head. The case was handed over to Chandigarh Police by the high court on April 3, acting on the plea from the Colonel

The plea levels allegations against the present SIT and questions the manner it is proceeding. It alleges the petitioner was summoned multiple times but accused only once. It said the digital video recorder (DVR) of the dhaba adjoining Harbans Dhaba, where the incident had taken place, which too had captured the complete incident, has gone missing; but till date no serious attempt has been made by the investigating agency to retrieve the same.

“It is being stated with utmost disappointment that even despite lapse of more than three-and-a-half months of the registration of the FIR and lapse of three months since the probe has been handed over to Chandigarh Police, neither a single accused has been arrested so far, nor any accused has been associated with the investigation,” the plea said, adding the contention of the petitioner regarding any conscious effort on the part of the investigating agency can be cemented from the fact that no non-bailable warrant, no PO or any other legal proceeding which would be indicative of some conscious and sincere effort, has been initiated on the part of the investigating agency.

“A strong order has been passed by the high court and police have been questioned over the delay. The SIT has been asked to file a report on July 16,” the family said in a public statement.

The detailed order of the proceedings is awaited.

The matter will be taken up on Wednesday when Chandigarh Police and the Punjab government have been told to respond to the issues raised by Col Bath.