Chandigarh: A day after Chandigarh police retrieved CCTV footage in the Varnika Kundu stalking case after saying that it had gone missing, Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala broke his silence and said on Tuesday that the victim was like his daughter and that there was no pressure on the police from him or his party.
“To get justice for Varnika, whatever action needs to be taken as per procedure against Vikas (Barala) and Ashish, should take place,” Mr Barala told the media.
“The BJP supports freedom of our daughters. Varnika Kundu is like my daughter. In this matter, there is no pressure, nor will there be, from the BJP or from me on anyone. We respect the law and law has taken its course. Truth will soon come out. I have full faith in the law,” Mr Barala added.
There were murmurs of the Mr Barala, state BJP chief, being under pressure from his party and the government to issue the statement.
Mr Barala’s son Vikas, 23, and his friend Ashish Kumar, 27, were arrested for allegedly stalking 29-year-old Ms Kundu, daughter of a senior IAS officer. Both were later released on bail as they had been booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.
Following the incident, Opposition parties attacked Mr Barala and asked him to resign on moral grounds.
Footage retrieved from five CCTV cameras shows a car being followed by the SUV. However, faces of the persons occupying the vehicles or their registration numbers were not clearly visible in the 11-second footage which was aired by several news channels.
“We are analysing the CCTV footages,” said Chandigarh SSP. On Friday night, Ms Kundu had called up the police complaining that two youth were chasing her along a stretch of over five km.
There have been several protests in various parts of the state over the incident. The CPI, INLD and the All India Mahila Congress met the Governor seeking action against those who are delaying and denying justice to Ms Kundu.
