New Delhi, Mar 22 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday condemned the thrashing of an Army colonel by police personnel in Punjab’s Patiala and demanded that the accused be arrested immediately and the probe handed over to the CBI.
Addressing a press conference here, head of the Congress’s ex-servicemen cell Rohit Chaudhary and AICC secretary of Punjab affairs Alok Sharma accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of having ruined the state, which they alleged was in the grip of the drug mafia.
They demanded that those accused of beating up Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath be arrested immediately and strict action initiated against them.
Chaudhary accused the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, of trying to hush up the case, alleging that an FIR was not lodged for four days after the incident.
“The incident is condemnable and a perfect example of the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Punjab. The drug mafia is spread in the entire the state and people are terrorised by the mafia and police raj.
“The AAP government has ruined the state. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP government are fully responsible for this incident,” he said.
Chaudhary said Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nanak Singh should be removed from his position immediately and his name included in the FIR for trying to influence the case and protecting the accused. He also cited the close ties between Singh and the chief minister.
“The accused police personnel should be arrested and dismissed from service. The probe should also be handed over to the CBI to ensure justice. Besides, Army officials should be included in the SIT to probe the incident,” the Congress leader said, adding that top Army officers should intervene in the matter.
Chaudhary said a law should be enacted to protect former armed forces personnel and their families to ensure that no one misbehaves with those who have served the country.
The wife of the colonel, who has accused 12 Punjab Police personnel of assaulting her husband and son over a parking dispute, staged a sit-in protest outside the Patiala deputy commissioner’s office on Saturday.
She was joined by several ex-servicemen.
The protest came a day after the Punjab Police registered a fresh FIR in the matter based on the statement of Colonel Bath. A high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been set up to expedite the probe.
The alleged attack took place in the intervening night of March 13 and 14, when Colonel Bath and his son went to a roadside restaurant near the Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. PTI SKC RC
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