Police face the heat for ‘caving’ to BJP pressure
Social media users are accusing Chandigarh Police of going soft against the accused.
CHANDIGARH: After Haryana BJP president’s son, Vikas Barala, arrested for stalking and drink driving, was released on bail on Saturday, politicians and social media users are accusing Chandigarh Police of buckling under pressure and going soft against the accused.
Vikas and his friend were arrested late on Friday night for allegedly following a woman, when she was driving towards her home.
As the case was registered for stalking under Section 354-D (stalking) of the IPC, which is a bailable offence when a person is booked the first time, the two walked free for the time being.
Congress leader and former Union minister Manish Tewari said that the police have “completely diluted” the case under pressure.
“Police have completely diluted the case under the BJP pressure, and have not added Section 365 (kidnapping) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment). It has exposed the BJP’s double standard,” said Tewari.
Defending the police action, UT senior superintendent of police Eish Singhal said: “We always go by the victim’s statement, in which no such case of kidnapping was made out. To claim it in a Facebook post is different. Nonetheless, we are seeking legal opinion.”
LAWYERS DIVIDED
Sumeet Goyal, a lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana high court, said the intention of police was evident from the fact that they did not include Section 354 (sexual harassment), which is a non-bailable offence, in the FIR.
“It is a clear-cut case of Sections 354, 365 (kidnapping). Let me put it straight, they wouldn’t have walked up to the girl simply to say hi, hello,” he said.
However, lawyer AS Chahal, said one could not jump to the conclusion that it was a case of kidnapping simply because one knocked on the victim’s car window . “If from the statement of the girl, a case of kidnapping is made out, then it should be added. From whatever I have read, I don’t think it makes for one,” he said.