Batala (Punjab): Just months after the high-profile assault on Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath in Patiala, another disturbing incident involving Punjab Police officers has surfaced, this time in Batala. A video showing a local journalist being mercilessly beaten by two policemen has gone viral, sparking outrage across the media fraternity.
The victim, Balvinder Kumar Bhalla, a press photographer and web TV journalist, was assaulted on the evening of August 1 outside a local hotel in Batala. The incident occurred around 6:15 pm when Bhalla entered a hotel washroom and noticed two men, one in police uniform and another in civilian clothes, standing at the counter.
According to Bhalla, he casually asked if they were with Batala Police, as they looked unfamiliar. This reportedly angered the uniformed officer, who responded aggressively and then began beating Bhalla along with his accomplice, reported Punjabi Jagran.
Video Shows Brutal Assault By Cops
The video shows the duo dragging the journalist outside and brutally attacking him. After Bhalla fell into stagnant water in a nearby alley, the uniformed officer repeatedly kicked him in the head, rendering him unconscious.
Nearby shopkeepers rushed the severely injured journalist to Batala Civil Hospital. Bhalla, a resident of Sundar Nagar, now demands strict legal action against the policemen involved.
According to reports, the attackers have been identified as Sub Inspectors Mandeep Singh and Surjit Kumar of the Bathinda Police. An FIR has been registered under BNS Sections 115(2), 118(1) and 3(5) at Batala Civil Lines Police Station. Both accused are residents of Bathinda.
Station House Officer (SHO) Nirmal Singh confirmed that the case has been registered based on the journalist’s statement and CCTV footage from the hotel and surrounding areas is being reviewed. Legal proceedings will follow once all evidence is compiled, he added.
The Colonel Bath Assault Case
The assault incident comes just a few months after the March 13 incident in Patiala, where Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son were allegedly assaulted by four Punjab Police officers over a parking dispute. That investigation was recently handed over to the CBI by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, further intensifying scrutiny on police conduct in the state.
