The Punjab & Haryana High Court on Thursday transferred the investigation into the alleged assault of Army Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath to the Chandigarh Police and directed that the probe be completed within four months.

The directive came in response to a petition filed by Colonel Bath, who sought a transfer of the case from Punjab Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any other independent agency. The colonel has accused 12 personnel of the Punjab Police, including four inspectors, of assaulting him and his son during a parking dispute in Patiala.

Following the hearing, advocate Deepinder Singh Virk, representing the petitioner, informed that Justice Harpreet Singh Brar has assigned the investigation to a senior IPS officer from Chandigarh Police. The court also made it clear that no officer from the Punjab Police cadre will be included in the investigation team.

Expressing satisfaction with the court’s decision, Colonel Bath’s wife, Jasvinder Kaur Bath, welcomed the order.

Earlier, the Punjab Police had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) A.S. Rai to investigate the incident.

According to the plea, the alleged incident occurred on the night of March 13-14, when Colonel Bath and his son were dining at a roadside dhaba in Patiala. The colonel alleged that a group of Punjab Police officers assaulted them without provocation, confiscated his identification card and mobile phone, and issued threats of a "fake encounter" — all in public view and under CCTV surveillance.

The petition emphasized that a fair and impartial investigation was not feasible under the Punjab Police. It was also submitted before the court that Colonel Bath is currently serving on deputation to a sensitive post under the Government of India, and the officers were made aware of this. The petition raised concerns over the potential exposure of sensitive national information contained on the colonel’s confiscated mobile phone.