Patiala (Punjab), March 17: A shocking incident has come to light involving a serving Indian Army Colonel, Pushpinder Batth and his son Angad. The family alleges that they were brutally assaulted by three police officers from Punjab over a parking dispute near Rajindra Hospital Dhaba in Patiala on the night of Thursday (March 13). However, dhaba owner claims they were consuming alcohol after parking their vehicle in the middle of the road. There are reports that an investigation is underway into the matter.

Family’s Allegations

According to Colonel Batth’s family, three officers identified as Inspector Harjinder Dhillon, Rony and Harry Boparai along with their gunmen, attacked them with baseball bats and weapons. The attack resulted in the Colonel’s arm being broken and his son suffering deep head wounds. The family also claims that instead of arresting the police officers involved, an FIR was filed against ‘unknown persons.’

Jaswinder Batth, the Colonel’s wife, has alleged that the police is now pressuring them to withdraw the case.

The CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced on social media in which it can be seen that the police officers are thrashing the father-son duo after an argument at the dhaba.

A Different Perspective

However, another side of the story has emerged. Karan, the owner of Rajindra Dhaba, stated that the Colonel and his son had parked their car in the middle of the road and started drinking after ordering Maggi. When the dhaba staff requested them to park properly and stop drinking, they refused. Later, when two police vehicles arrived and asked them to move their car, an argument broke out. Karan claims that the Colonel’s son was the first to attack the police officers, which then led to the violent altercation.

Investigation Underway

While the Colonel’s family claims police brutality, the dhaba owner’s statement suggests that the altercation started because of the father-son duo. There are reports that the police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the matter.

Social Media Reacts

The internet users are giving mixed reactions to the incident. Users claim that the army's honour and dignity must be maintained, while others say that everyone should be treated the same in the civilian environment.

One of the users said, "Army belongs to the border. When they’re in the civilian environment they should be treated the same as any civilian by the police in the terms of law and order."

Another user said, "Sir honor and dignity of Armed Forces has to be maintained, not done and not accepted at all Jai Hind."