Incident Overview
A serving Lieutenant Colonel posted at Chandimandir Military Station, Panchkula, was allegedly assaulted inside the Panchkula district courts complex on July 9 by a group of lawyers. The officer, Lt Col Ashish Chandok, was also taken hostage inside a lawyer's chamber and forced to sign an agreement under threat, according to his complaint to the police.
An FIR was registered at Sector 7 Police Station, Panchkula, on Friday night under charges including voluntarily causing hurt, causing grievous hurt, criminal intimidation, and rioting. The Station House Officer, Inspector Rajbir Yadav, confirmed that the accused have not yet been arrested and that investigations are ongoing.
Details of the Assault
Lt Col Chandok has been contesting three cases filed by his wife in the Panchkula district courts for the past year. The couple has been living separately. During the hearing of his cases in the Family Court on July 9, the opposing counsel, advocate Maninder Singh Bitta, and his associates allegedly misbehaved with him. Subsequently, they called 10-17 lawyers who further misbehaved and physically assaulted him outside the courtroom of Judge Rekha (Family Court).
The officer alleged that Maninder Singh Bitta and the other lawyers then took him hostage to the chamber of advocate N S Sodhi, where they again assaulted him. According to the complaint, Bitta and his associates threatened him, saying he must apologize or write a Raazinama (settlement agreement), otherwise they would not release him and would continue beating him. Under duress, they forced him to sign a Raazinama of 5-6 lines which he could not read. After signing, he was allowed to leave the court complex.
Medical Examination and Investigation
The medical examination of Lt Col Chandok at Civil Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula, revealed a suspected fracture. The report stated: "Discontinuity of coccyx (tailbone) seen, likely to fracture." Inspector Rajbir Yadav said the police will seek an opinion from the doctor regarding the injury. They are also attempting to obtain CCTV footage from the court complex to further the investigation. "We will proceed further after seeing it," he added.
Legal and Military Response
The FIR has been registered against the lawyers involved, but no arrests have been made as of the latest update. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of military personnel within civilian judicial premises. Lt Col Chandok's complaint highlights the alleged abuse of legal process and physical intimidation by members of the bar. The military authorities are expected to take up the matter with the civil administration to ensure the officer's security and legal recourse.
