Barala admits to consuming beer before ‘stalking’
Confronted with CCTV footage, Vikas Barala, son of Haryana BJP president Subash Barala, accepted that he and his friend Ashish Kumar had consumed beer before hitting the road where DJ Varnika Kundu was allegedly stalked.
Barala had earlier admitted that he was driving the vehicle.
According to the investigation, accused Barala, 23, and Kumar, 27, purchased beer from a shop in Sector 9, Chandigarh, and consumed the liquor in the vehicle.
During questioning, police confronted them with the CCTV footage.
Sources added that the duo admitted to have consumed beer in the vehicle. This was corroborated with the CCTV footage procured by the police as well as the opinion of the doctor who said “their breath smelled of liquor”.
However, the police could not quantify the amount of liquor in their blood as the two refused to give samples of blood and urine during the medical examination. Footage from a Sector 9 wine shop showed the accused buying beer.
Other footage — apparently retrieved from Sector 8, a private school in Sector 26, and the Housing Board light point — reportedly show the vehicle of the accused chasing Varnika’s car.
According to the complaint made by Varnika Kundu, Barala, who was driving the Tata Safari Storme on the intervening night of August 4 and 5 had chased her for 20 minutes. The vehicle is registered in the name of Jaideep of Fatehabad, Haryana. Jaideep is a relative of Vikas Barala.
Barala and Kumar were arrested on Wednesday under section 365 (kidnapping) with section 511 (attempt to abduct) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Dressed in a blue shirt Vikas, who aspires to be a lawyer, and Ashish covered their faces with handkerchiefs to avoid the media glare.
Vikas wore a grim look and appeared timid but Ashish appeared more confident even while responding to the judge.
The duo had earlier been arrested on August 5 under Section 354 D (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint) of IPC and 185 of Motor Vehicle Act (driving by a drunken person) and released on bail.