Chandigarh Stalking: Accused in Judicial Custody till 25 Aug
On Friday midnight, Varnika Kundu was brazenly stalked by two men, later identified as Vikas Barala and Ashish.
Varnika Kundu, the daughter of a senior Haryana IAS officer, alleged that she was stalked, chased and harassed by two men in Chandigarh. One of them was later revealed to be the son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala. The high-profile case has made national headlines, with new developments every few hours. Read all the updates here as they unfold.
- Chandigarh stalking case accused Vikas Barala, Ashish Kumar have been sent to judicial custody till 25 August
- The accused were arrested on Wednesday
- They have been additionally charged with abduction, a non-bailable offence
- Subhash Barala, Haryana BJP chief and Vikas’ father, assured he would cooperate with the police
- Varnika Kundu termed the decision to arrest Barala as a “great step”
Vikas Barala and Ashish Kumar Sent to Judicial Custody till 25 August
The two primary accused in the Chandigarh stalking case Vikas Barala and Ashish Kumar have been sent to Judicial Custody till August 25.
Vikas Barala Taken to Crime Scene: Reports
Reports on Thursday night suggested that Vikas Barala was taken to the crime scene. He, along with his friend Ashish, was arrested and sent to 2-day custody by the Chandigarh magistrate court.
Vikas Barala, Friend Sent to Two-Day Police Custody
Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar have been sent to two-day police custody by the Chandigarh Magistrate court on Thursday.
Police sought remand of the two accused from the court, saying it wanted to reconstruct the crime scene.
Civil judge Barjinder Pal Singh remanded the two accused to police custody till August 12.
Vikas Barala and Friend Ashish Appear at Court
Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar appeared before a district magistrate court in Chandigarh in relation to the stalking case.
CCTV Footage Shows Ashish Kumar Buying Alcohol on 4 August
CCTV footage accessed by Indian Express shows Ashish Kumar, Vikas Barala’s friend and co-accused in the stalking case, buying alcohol from a shop in Sector 9 on the night of 4 August.
Vikas Barala Accepts Chasing Kundu
Sources say Vikas Barala, the prime accused in the Chandigarh stalking case, has accepted to have been chasing Varnika Kundu’s car on the night of 4 August during questioning.
Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar will be produced in the Chandigarh Court today.
Accused to be Arrested: Chandigarh DGP
Chandigarh DGP Tajinder Singh Luthra confirmed that both the accused in the Varnika stalking case, Vikas Barala and Ashish Kumar, have been arrested. The accused will be produced in court on Thursday. The police will demand custody of the accused, he added.
He added that the police have conducted a detailed investigation and that there was no “political pressure” on them.
'Attempt to Abduct' Charges Added Against Vikas
Section 511 of IPC – attempt to abduct with intent of wrongful confinement – was added in the case against Vikas Barala, reported Times of India.
This is Just the Beginning: Varnika
Reacting to reports suggesting that Vikas Barala has been arrested, Varnika Kundu said that it was a “great” step but that she cannot say that she has “won”.
She also said that her faith in the system has been restored.
There has been no confirmation of Barala’s arrest by the Chandigarh police yet.
No Instance yet of Pressure From Family of Accused: Varnika's Father
Varnika Kundu’s father Virender Kundu said there “was no instance yet” of any pressure from the family of the accused. Vikas Barala, one of the accused is the son of BJP Haryana chief Subhash Barala.
The woman's father, who is an IAS officer, expressed hope that they would get justice even as he said it was going to be a “protracted battle”.
When asked if there was any pressure from the family of the accused, the IAS officer said,
DCW Chief Writes to Rajnath Singh
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal urged the Centre to direct the Chandigarh Police to add “relevant sections” of the IPC in a case filed against the Haryana BJP chief’s son for allegedly stalking a woman, and ensure a fair probe.
In a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Maliwal also urged him to take strict action against those who, as a part of “conspiracy”, are allegedly spreading false rumours about the complainant and her family members on social media.
Justice Will Be Done: Kirron Kher
Chandigarh MP and BJP leader Kirron Kher on Wednesday said that justice will be done in the Chandigarh stalking case.
Chandigarh Police Deny Arrest Reports
Minutes after reports emerged suggesting Vikas Barala was arrested, Chandigarh police clarified that the accused has not been arrested yet.
The police, however, confirmed that the second accused Ashish Kumar has also joined the investigation.
Both Barala and Ashish are being interrogated, said Chandigarh DGP Tajinder Singh Luthra.
Vikas Barala Arrested: Media Reports
Vikas Barala was arrested within ten minutes of arriving at the Sector 26 police station in Chandigarh, according to media reports. He has been charged with Sections 365 and 511 of the IPC.
Vikas Joins Probe
Accused Vikas Barala has joined the probe launched into the alleged stalking of disc jockey Varnika Kundu. He was earlier absconding from his residence, and has now arrived at the Sector 26 police station where he will be questioned.
Speaking to CNN-News18, sources suggested that Vikas might be additionally charged with kidnapping and abduction, in which case his bail might get cancelled and he will be taken into custody once again.
Subhash Barala Addresses Media, Distances Party from Probe
Subhash Barala, Haryana BJP chief and accused Vikas Barala’s father, addressed the media on the recent development in the unfolding probe.
Vikas has reportedly arrived in Chandigarh, and will soon appear at the Sector 26 police station where he will be questioned.
My Son Will Cooperate: Subhash Barala
Speaking to ANI, Suhash Barala, Haryana BJP Chief and Vikas Barala’s father, assured that his son will cooperate with the police in the questioning over his involvement in the stalking case.
Vikas Barala Fails to Appear Before Police
The Chandigarh police asked Vikas Barala, son of Haryana BJP leader Subhash Barala, to join the investigation in the alleged stalking case of Varnika Kundu. However, he failed to appear within the stipulated time.
The police will now decide the subsequent course of action to be taken. NDTV reported that the police might arrest Barala as he did not appear before the police. Meanwhile, Barala’s friend and co-accused Ashish Kumar agreed to appear for questioning.
"Will Ensure Justice": Chandigarh Director General of Police Assures
Speaking to ANl, DGP Tejinder Luthra assured “everything under the sun will be done to ensure justice.” He also further said that it has been established in the CCTV footage that Barala was indeed stalking Varnika Kundu.
He further said that Barala and Kumar’s refusal to give their blood and urine samples will be held against them in the investigation and trial. He also said that since Barala refused to accept their summons, the notice has now been pasted on the wall of his residence.
Barala and Co-Accused Refuse Blood, Urine Samples
According to Hindustan Times, Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar refused to give their blood and urine samples when a medical examination was conducted two hours before the Chandigarh police filed an FIR on 5 August.
The medical examination report submitted by doctors read,
Chandigarh Police's Summons to Vikas Barala Ignored
The Chandigarh police on Wednesday summoned accused Vikas Barala in relation to the stalking case, reported ANI. He is expected to appear at 11 am before the police.
Barala however, ignored the summons. The police have now pasted a copy of the summons on the wall outside his residence.
"I Did Not Take Any of Barala's Calls": Virender Kundu
Speaking to Indian Express, Virender Kundu said he was flooded with a barrage of frantic phone calls from Subhash Barala when he was at Sector 26 Police Station to file an FIR against Vikas for attempting to kidnap his daughter Varnika on 4 August.
Kundu has now warned his daughters to be extra careful when they step out of the house, as the action taken by him will be taken as a move against the party that is in power.
Barala Kin Not New to Kidnapping Charges
Even as the furore around Vikas Barala facing charges for allegedly attempting to kidnap Varnika gains speed, it is revaled that the Barala kin is not new to kidnapping charges.
Earlier in May, two of Barala’s cousins Vikram and Kuldeep Barala faced charges for abducting a minor girl from their village Badhai Khera. The victim and her family were forced to leave the village when they were allegedly threatened by the police and BJP goons.
Varnika Is Like My Daughter, Says BJP Leader
Subhash Barala, BJP leader and father of the accused, broke his silence amidst clamours from the opposition asking for his resignation. On Tuesday, he said the girl, Varnika, is "like my daughter" and denied that any undue pressure was being put to influence the investigation.
Read more here.
AAP, BJP Clash in Delhi Assembly Over Chandigarh Stalking Case
The Delhi Assembly had a noisy start to the monsoon session on Tuesday, with the ruling AAP targeting the BJP over the stalking case, while the opposition BJP raised the issue of death of sanitation workers in the national capital.
Media Banned From Chandigarh Sector 26 Police Station
On Tuesday, Chandigarh police disallowed reporters from entering the Sector 26 police station, where the case in question has been lodged. The police posted a constable at the gate of the station to prevent mediapersons from entering, reported Hindustan Times.
The restrictions come to light after the police was heavily criticised while handling the case.
Chandigarh Stalking: Did Police Reconstruct Crime Scene Without Accused?
While the Chandigarh stalking case has made national headlines, the local police has no idea about the whereabouts of the accused, police sources said on Tuesday.
Chandigarh Police officials are silent when asked why the accused has not been called for the crime scene reconstruction.
The police have also failed to call the accused and his accomplice Ashish Kumar, both of whom are out on bail, for further investigation, even though the incident happened four days back.
Trolls Attempt to Shame Chandigarh Victim With Old Photos
A day after a senior BJP politician’s son and his friend were arrested for ‘stalking’ Varnika Kundu in Chandigarh, BJP leaders and members of the accused’s family have resorted to victim shaming on social media.
Shaina NC, a BJP spokesperson, shared the photo on Twitter and tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 8 other people. She has now deleted the tweet and claims that her account was hacked.
Read more here.
Will Move Court If Charges Diluted, Says IAS Officer
The Haryana IAS officer, whose daughter was allegedly stalked by a senior BJP leader's son and his friend, took to social media to seek "maximum punishment" for the accused, adding that he will move court if charges against the duo were "diluted".
He, however, asserted that the family would not interfere with the investigation.
Swami Wants CBI to Probe Chandigarh Stalking Case, Will File PIL
BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Monday accused the Chandigarh Police of doing a “somersault” on a case involving the Haryana BJP chief's son, who is accused of stalking a woman, and said that he would file a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for a court-monitored CBI probe into the incident.
Chandigarh Stalking: Police Find CCTV Proof Against Vikas Barala
The Chandigarh Police on Monday night said it has retrieved the CCTV footage that supported disc jockey Varnika Kundu’s charge that Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala’s son Vikas and his friend followed her car in a midnight chase, Hindustan Times reported.
This comes after the police faced criticism earlier in the day for saying that the CCTV footage from five locations along the route had gone missing.
BJP's Incharge of Haryana Rules out Barala's Resignation
Senior BJP leader Anil Jain, incharge of the party's Haryana affairs, ruled out the resignation of its state unit chief Subhash Barala, following the arrest of the latter's son in a stalking case.
Jain's statement ruling out Barala's resignation comes a day after Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also said that the BJP state unit chief had “nothing to do with the incident”.
Bullied & Harassed, Woman Shares Stalking Ordeal With The Quint
On Friday midnight, Varnika Kundu was brazenly stalked by two men, later identified as Vikas Barala and Ashish. Barala, who is the son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, was arrested along with Ashish, soon after the incident was brought to light. The duo was, however, released the same evening as the day of the arrest.
Read more here.
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