FIR Registered After Ex-Army Officer Accuses Lawyers of Assault and Illegal Confinement

A case alleging the assault of a retired Lieutenant Colonel by a group of lawyers inside the Panchkula District Court Complex has come to light. The incident reportedly took place on July 9, when the retired Army officer claimed he was physically attacked, wrongfully confined inside a lawyer's chamber, and forced to sign a settlement document. Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at 11:20 pm on July 10 at Sector 7 Police Station in Panchkula under charges related to voluntarily causing hurt, causing grievous hurt, criminal intimidation, and rioting. The complainant, retired Lieutenant Colonel Ashish Chandok, who was earlier posted at the Chandimandir Military Station in Panchkula, has been attending proceedings in three cases filed by his estranged wife in the Panchkula District Courts over the past year. According to his statement to the police, the incident occurred during the hearing of his family court cases on July 9. Chandok alleged that the opposing counsel, Maninder Singh Bitta, along with his associates, first misbehaved with him. He further claimed that 10 to 17 lawyers were later called to the spot, and they allegedly abused and physically assaulted him outside the courtroom of Family Court Judge Rekha. Chandok also alleged that the group was not satisfied after the initial altercation and subsequently took him to the chamber of advocate N.S. Sodhi, where he was allegedly confined and assaulted again. In his complaint, he stated that Maninder Singh Bitta and the others threatened him, saying he would not be allowed to leave unless he apologized or signed a written settlement. The retired officer further claimed that, under pressure and intimidation, he was forced to sign a settlement document consisting of five to six lines, which he was unable to read before signing. He said he was allowed to leave the court premises only after signing the document. A medical examination conducted at the General Hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula, reportedly found a "possible fracture of the coccyx (tailbone)," according to the medical assessment. Meanwhile, Station House Officer Inspector Rajbir Yadav of Sector 7 Police Station said that no arrests have been made so far. He stated that the police are awaiting the doctor's final opinion and are attempting to obtain CCTV footage from the court complex. Further action will be taken after examining the available evidence.