Current Events :
The case sparked outrage among ex-servicemen, Army veterans, and the public, leading to demands for accountability and justice. (File photo)
A departmental inquiry against Punjab Police personnel, accused of allegedly assaulting a serving Army officer over a car parking issue, has recommendation action ranging from three years’ deduction in service and denial of increments and promotions for the same time period to four inspectors and two others, it has been learnt.
The inquiry was conducted by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Patiala, into the incident that took place on the intervening night of March 13 and 14, when Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son were having food at a roadside dhaba near Government Rajindra Hospital in the district. Colonel Bath, on deputation with a central agency and his son, Angad Singh Bath, were allegedly assaulted by 12 Punjab Police personnel, including four inspectors. The incident resulted in severe injuries, including a dislocated arm for Colonel Bath and a fractured nose for his son. Colonel Bath had accused the police personnel of assaulting him and his son over a parking dispute and sought a transfer of the probe to an independent agency, preferably the CBI.
He alleged that the assailants — four inspector-rank officers of the Punjab Police and their armed subordinates — attacked him and his son without provocation, snatched his ID card and mobile phone, and threatened him with a “fake encounter”, all in public view and under CCTV camera coverage.
The case sparked outrage among ex-servicemen, Army veterans, and the public, leading to demands for accountability and justice. Later, the Punjab Police suspended the 12 police personnel and also initiated a departmental inquiry. The Patiala SSP has submitted the inquiry report to his superior officers and a show cause notice has been issued to the four inspectors and two other police personnel whose names and ranks have not been disclosed by the police department.
It has been recommended that three years of service of six police personnel be deducted, besides they be denied increment and promotion for three years. It recommends that the suspension of these officers will continue, and they will remain posted out of Patiala. The inspectors were attached to Bathinda and Ludhiana Police Ranges when they rejoined duty after remaining absconding for several months during which time Patiala Police failed to arrest them. The Punjab Police on March 17 had suspending 12 implicated police officers, including inspectors Harry Boparai, Ronnie Singh, Harjinder Dhillon, and Shaminder Singh, along with assistant sub-inspectors, head constables, and constables.
A departmental inquiry was ordered by then Patiala SSP Nanak Singh to investigate the allegations against these officers. The inquiry was initially assigned to Patiala SP (Headquarters) Harwant Kaur, with a directive to complete the probe within 45 days. The inquiry aimed to examine the conduct of the accused personnel, who were reported to be in civilian clothes and allegedly intoxicated during the incident. The family claimed the officers used abusive language, physically assaulted Colonel Bath and his son with baseball bats and sharp-edged weapons, and confiscated the Colonel’s government ID card and mobile phone. The inquiry was intended to establish the facts, assess violations of police conduct, and recommend appropriate disciplinary measures.
In addition to the departmental inquiry, other probes were initiated which include a magisterial probe ordered by the Punjab Home department on March 20 and led by IAS officer Paramvir Singh. This probe was rejected by the Bath family, who demanded a CBI inquiry.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was also formed on March 21 under ADGP SPS Parmar and later led by ADGP AS Rai. However, the family expressed distrust in the SIT’s impartiality.
The departmental inquiry faced several challenges with the Bath family accusing then SSP Nanak Singh of delaying the FIR registration, which was only filed on March 21 based on Colonel Bath’s statement, instead of the initial FIR based on the dhaba owner’s account.
The names of all 12 suspended officers were not initially disclosed, fueling allegations of police shielding certain personnel, particularly those with accolades as “encounter specialists.”
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 16 had transferred the investigation into the case to the CBI. The CBI on July 25, re-registered two FIRs filed by the civil lines police station Patiala as its own separate cases, with one from Colonel Bath’s side and the other from the dhaba owner in Patiala. The FIRs were filed under various provisions of the BNS, which also include the charge of attempt to commit murder.
An office-bearer of ex-servicemen association and two jawans visited the family of Hakimuddin Shaikh, a retired soldier who fought in the 1999 Kargil War, on Wednesday afternoon and pledged solidarity with the family.
After verifying facts related to the incident at the police station, the visitors went to his home to show support for the family, the family members said.Don’t overpay for flights. Search, compare & save up to 30% today. Start Now
“Two jawans on duty and an ex-servicemen association director from the Army Engineers Regiment heard that my uncle Hakimuddin was arrested. They came to the police station first and then to our house,” said Nawab Ali Shaikh, nephew of Hakimuddin.
“The director of the ex-servicemen association had worked with my uncle,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Pune police on Wednesday registered a first information report (FIR) against seven individuals and others for alleged unlawful assembly after a group of members belonging to a right-wing group barged into the house of the family of the Kargil War veteran in Chandannagar late Saturday night accused them of being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Mohali: A retired Army officer was robbed at gunpoint while walking his dog near his residence in Aerocity Block-C, Mohali. The incident occurred around 6.30 pm on July 20, when four armed men in a black Honda City intercepted him under the pretext of asking for directions.The victim, Col Gurjeet Singh (retd), a resident of Sector 82 and currently posted as in-charge at the ECHS centre in Fatehgarh Sahib, claimed that the suspects used a car with mud-smeared registration number plates, partially obscuring the registration number. Only “MH” was visible, indicating a Maharashtra registration. The car also had miniature Union Jack flags on its dashboard.Singh was walking near the VY Infra property dealer’s office when the car passed him, only to return moments later. A youth stepped out from the driver’s side and asked for directions to an immigration agent’s house. During the brief exchange, the man brandished a pistol and demanded Singh’s gold bracelet (approx. 1.5 tolas) and iPhone. Two other suspects, both Sikh men in their mid-20s, remained inside the vehicle. Fearing for his safety, Singh complied, and the car sped off.Singh later used his daughter’s phone to track his iPhone, which was found discarded in bushes about 2 kms from the scene.
AirSense 11 – Smart tech for deep sleepResMedFollowing the complaint, IT City Police registered a case under Sections 392 and 34 of the IPC, and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from the area.In a significant development, Singh informed police of a similar robbery on July 9 in Block-D of Aerocity, where another resident was allegedly robbed at gunpoint by occupants of a similar vehicle while walking his dog. Police suspect the same gang may be involved in both incidents and have intensified search efforts.
Lt Colonel Bhanu Pratap Singh Mankotia and Lance Dafadar Daljit Singh died, and three officers were injured, when a boulder fell on their army vehicle in eastern Ladakh on Wednesday
The two soldiers killed in an accident in Ladakh were cremated with full military honours at their native places in Punjab on Thursday.Lt Colonel Bhanu Pratap Singh Mankotia and Lance Dafadar Daljit Singh died, and three officers were injured, when a boulder fell on their army vehicle in eastern Ladakh on Wednesday.
सेना को दुश्मन के अलाबा climate ओर प्राकृतिक आपदाओ से भी लड़ना पड़ता है, आज दोपहर बाद की इस दुःखद दुर्घटना मे 3 ऑफिसर ओर 1 जवान शहीद, गलवान घाटी के पास 52Km पॉइंट पर ll
सत सत नमन 🙏
The accident occurred in Charbagh near Durbuk in Galwan, some 200 km from Leh.Earlier in the day, the bodies of Mankotia and Daljit Singh were brought to their native places in Pathankot and Gurdaspur’s Shamsherpur village.A large number of mourners gathered at their houses to pay their last respects to the armymen who died in the line of duty.
Daljit’s father said Daljit had spoken to his mother on Tuesday and asked her to find a mason to build a house. “He hung up saying he will call back,” the father, still in shock with his son’s death, said.Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann offered condolences to the soldiers’ kin.Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak and officers from the army attended the cremation of Lt Col Mankotia in Pathankot.
Maj Mayank Shubham (14 Sindh Horse), Maj Amit Dixit and Capt Gaurav (60 Armd) were injured in the accident.They were part of a convoy on a training move from Durbuk to Chongtash.
Lt Col Mankotia ( Bhanu Pratap) is son of Col Raman Makotia… Ajmer Georgian.. 11974-82
Climate change impacts military operations and systems, factored in planning missions and future acquisitions: MoD
Climate change impacts military operations and systems, factored in planning missions and future acquisitions: MoD.
Climate change reshapes military strategy.
Global warming and climatic change has an impact on military operations and defence systems, besides being factored into the planning for future acquisitions, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Parliament on Monday.
“The climate change does pose challenges to platforms and personnel operating in rough or hostile weather conditions. Accordingly, during the mission planning stage, a detailed analysis of weather conditions likely to be encountered, is undertaken to deduce its effect on ships, aircraft, submarines and personnel exposed to the weather conditions,” Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth said in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question by Dr Ajeet Madhavrao Gopchade.
“The analysis of meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic conditions prevalent in our area of operations form an essential part of every mission planning, at the strategic, operational and tactical levels,” he added.
The planned induction of platforms takes into account the necessity for the platforms and its weapons, sensors, equipment and systems, to perform at the desired operational efficiency, during adverse weather conditions. Moreover, the men are imparted adequate training and suitably equipped to operate in all weather conditions.
Defence experts point out that impact of global warming is also leading to lower snow cover in the mountains and usability of terrain, which has implications for deployments and movements of troops and vehicles as well as availability of land routes for ingress and egress and the duration they are closed during winters. This is relevant for sectors like the Line of Control with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control with China which have historically seen heavy snow cover.
According to MoD, the effect of climate change has also led to increased occurrence of natural calamities and disasters. Towards undertaking Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions, the Indian Navy is progressively inducting suitable platforms, which can be utilised for HADR roles like hospital ship, landing platform docks, long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft as well as unmanned aerial systems for surveillance and helicopters for search and rescue operations.
“Towards optimum resource allocation, all HADR missions are well coordinated with all relevant national agencies and stakeholders, in order to be the ‘first responder’ in India and the Indian Ocean Region, including rendering assistance to friendly foreign countries,” the minister said.
The Indian Navy’s Maritime Capability Perspective Plan for development of force levels is tailored to meet emerging challenges including climate change. Additionally, naval infrastructure and personnel welfare with respect to climate change is also addressed by the Navy.
A Coordination and Monitoring Committee on Climate Change meets periodically to discuss, monitor and oversee the issues related to climate change and global warming in the Navy’s context. The implications of Global Mean Sea Level Rise on the Indian Ocean Region nations and the Navy’s operational domain form the primary focus of discussions.
Vulnerability of Naval Infrastructure especially at Andaman and Nicobar Islands is also on the radar. As most of the places at Andaman and Nicobar Islands are less than five meters above mean sea level, comprehensive data on frequency of cyclonic storms, impact and travel times of tsunami waves at various ports have been built up by the Indian Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Organisation.
Further, alternatives such as land reclamation and creation of artificial islands with higher elevation over long term specifically for naval use are also proposed. The Navy also has a focused approach towards restoration of Mangroves.
Mangroves cover is identified in the vicinity of naval areas like INS Venduruthy, INS Kadamba, INS Valsura, INS Sardar Patel, INS Zamorin, INS Hamla, INS Abhimanyu, INS Tunir and FOB Tuticorn.
Mangrove plantation drives were carried out by Naval personnel and coastal afforestation drives were conducted in naval areas with seashore, where mangroves cannot sustain for resuscitation of coastal green cover to prevent coastal and beach sand erosion, the Minister said.
The Centre has invited tenders for the construction of the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab river near Sidhu village in Ramban district. This development adds to Pakistan’s woes, which already stands on the back foot after the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, following the Pahalgam terror attack.
NHPC has released an official notification, inviting e-tenders for the project that was originally conceived in the 1960s. The last date for submission of online bids is September 10.
The project site is located near Sidhu village in Ramban district, roughly 120 km from Jammu and 130 km from Srinagar. Construction of the Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project is a major step to optimise India’s use of Indus water as the treaty remains suspended. The Indus Water Treaty was put in abeyance as one of India’s strict actions against Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Yesterday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised the importance of the Indus Waters Treaty and criticised the Congress for agreeing to various terms with Pakistan.
“The Indus Water Treaty, in many ways, is a very unique agreement. I cannot think of any agreement in the world where a country has allowed its major rivers to flow to the next country without having rights on that river,” Jaishankar said.
He also added that PM Modi has “corrected” Jawaharlal Nehru’s “mistakes” when it comes to handling the Indus Water Treaty and Article 370.
“We were told for 60 years that nothing could be done. Pandit Nehru’s mistake can’t be corrected. The Narendra Modi government showed it can be corrected. Article 370 was corrected, and IWT is being corrected. The Indus Waters Treaty will be held in abeyance until Pakistan irrevocably gives up its support of terrorism. We have warned that blood and water will not flow together,” he said.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960, governs the distribution of water from the Indus River system between India and Pakistan. The treaty has withstood multiple wars and diplomatic crises, but recent tensions have prompted fresh discussions on its future.
The treaty allocates the eastern rivers (Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej) to India and the western rivers (Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum) to Pakistan, with some provisions for India to use the western rivers for limited irrigation and non-consumptive uses like power generation.
Volcano erupts near epicentre | Evacuations ordered | South America’s Chile issues highest alert
A very powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka coast on Wednesday triggered tsunami warnings as far away as French Polynesia and Chile, and was followed by an eruption of the most active volcano on the peninsula.
The shallow quake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan’s eastern seaboard — devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 – was ordered to evacuate, as were parts of Hawaii.
By the evening, Japan, Hawaii and Russia had downgraded most of their tsunami warnings. But authorities in French Polynesia warned residents of several of the remote Marquesas Islands to move to higher ground and expect waves as high as 2.5 metres (8 feet).Russian scientists said the quake in Kamchatka was the most powerful to hit the region since 1952.“It felt like the walls could collapse any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least three minutes,” said Yaroslav, 25, in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Read More
In Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril Islands, south of Kamchatka, tsunami waves exceeded 3 metres, with the largest up to 5 metres, Russia’s RIA news agency reported.The Klyuchevskoy volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula began erupting later, a geological monitoring service said.Hawaii recorded waves of up to 1.7 metres while in Japan the largest recorded came to 1.3 metres, officials said. Flights out of Honolulu airport resumed in the evening, the transportation department said.
Waves of nearly half a metre were observed as far away as California, with smaller ones reaching Canada’s province of British Columbia.In French Polynesia, waves started to hit some islands in the early morning hours of Wednesday. In other parts, wave heights were expected to remain below 30 cm, not requiring evacuation or sheltering. Chile upgraded its tsunami warning to the highest level early for most of its lengthy Pacific coast following a powerful earthquake.
Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan’s Pacific coast and evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands of people.Workers evacuated the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, where a meltdown following the 2011 tsunami caused a radioactive disaster, operator TEPCO said.
The quake occurred on what is known as a “megathrust fault” where the denser Pacific Plate is sliding underneath the lighter North American Plate, according to scientists.The Plate has been on the move, making the Kamchatka Peninsula especially vulnerable to such tremors.
What is the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’
The Ring of Fire is a large tectonic belt that runs along the edges of the Pacific Ocean, touching coastlines in East Asia, the Americas and several Pacific islands. Stretching for around 40,000 kilometres, this zone is home to nearly 75% of the world’s active volcanoes and is the site of about 90% of global earthquakes.
