NEW DELHI — An FIR was registered against the assailants of a Brigadier and his son approximately 45 hours after the assault took place in the presence of police personnel, authorities confirmed, adding that the matter is being looked into.
The Brigadier's wife, who was present during the attack, told police that her husband and son were thrashed and that she was herself subjected to misbehaviour by the assailants while policemen watched. Police confirmed they had received this information and said the investigation is proceeding in a phased manner.
"The delay in registration of the FIR in no way affects the integrity of the evidence," said an official familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity. "If anything, a 45-hour gap gives all parties an opportunity to reflect on what they may or may not have witnessed."
The development follows an established procedural framework that the Punjab and Haryana High Court examined in March 2025, when it questioned why an FIR against 12 police personnel who assaulted a serving Colonel and his son had taken eight days to file. Justice Sandeep Moudgil asked at the time why accused who were within police reach had not been arrested, and whether the delay in the Daily Diary Report, the FIR, and the arrests were connected. The court was told that police had been under pressure due to a farmers' protest at the Shambhu border, a clarification the court received without comment.
In the current Delhi case, no such extenuating circumstances have yet been identified, though officials noted that the concerned authorities have been directed to ascertain whether any such circumstances exist.
The Army's institutional response to complaints of this nature has a well-documented record. In a 2018 case in which an Army officer's wife accused a retired Brigadier of harassment and his subsequent vendetta, an internal Army inquiry found the charges untrue. The Brigadier retired on schedule. The complainant's husband, who had written to the GOC requesting an inquiry, was informed that his letter was seditious in nature.
"We take all such matters with the utmost seriousness," said a spokesperson, adding that a committee has been constituted to examine the modalities of the investigation currently underway.
The Brigadier's wife has stated that she will pursue the matter through appropriate channels. Authorities confirmed that appropriate channels are available and that their locations can be provided upon written request.