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.
Varnika recounted her harrowing experience to The Quint where the two men chased, bullied and harassed her for a distance of about 6 kms before finally stopping the car, banging on her window and trying to open the door.
“They Need to Suffer to Know This Isn’t a Game”
Refusing to be daunted, a determined Varnika told The Quint:
I am living my life as I would. If I let this fear stop me, that would be the exact opposite of what I want to do...The system is (in existence) to protect us. I have faith that they (the accused) will be given the justice they deserve (sic), and I will get the justice that I deserve. They will suffer what they need to suffer to make them understand this is not a game they can play.
“The Guys Who Did This Should be Hiding Their Face, Not Me”
Varnika said that not hiding her face and publicly speaking about the harassment she faced is a deliberate statement she is trying to make. She added that she is not a victim, she was saved, and that she has nothing to be ashamed of.
It’s not like I have anything to hide, I did nothing. I am not a victim, I was saved. Shouldn’t the guys who did it be hiding their face? They are the ones who have a reason to actually be ashamed.
Determined to Continue Fighting
Earlier media reports had pointed out that the Chandigarh Police was under pressure from political leaders in Haryana and the central government to dilute the case against Vikas and his friend. Subhash Barala is a sitting legislator of Haryana's ruling BJP from Tohana assembly seat and a powerful Jat leader.
An unflinching Varnika, however, said that she is in this fight and she will watch it through right to the end.
Soon after the incident, Varnika shared the ordeal in a Facebook post which soon went viral. At the time of filing of this story, it had over 4000 likes and close to 2500 shares.
Varnika, who is a daughter of a senior IAS officer, pointed out in her post that she is fortunate enough to not be the daughter of a “common man”, begging the question of the safety of an average woman.
When asked if she faced any trolling after sharing the post, Varnika said that the responses to it have been positive. People have reached out to her saying how proud and inspired they are.
Video Editor: Mohd Irshad
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