August 8, 2017 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
New Delhi: A day after stating that charges should not be diluted against Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala’s son Vikas Barala and his friend for allegedly stalking a senior IAS officer’s daughter, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday alleged a cover-up in the case. On Saturday, 29-year-old Varnika Kundu, the daughter of V S Kundu, had alleged that the two accused stalked and chased her in an abduction bid.
“This was wrong. No one should be protected. There’s certainly covering up,” Amarinder was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Later Punjab CM’s office issued a written statement in which CM Amarinder Singh demanded that the Chandigarh police be given a free hand to probe the Varnika Kundu stalking case, with no attempt to pressurise them in any way.
The statement notes that [t]alking to media persons outside Parliament House before meeting the Prime Minister on the farm debt waiver issue, the Chief Minister said the police should be allowed to investigate the high-profile case freely and independently.
No attempt should be made to dilute the charges against the accused, one of whom is the son of the Haryana BJP president, said Captain Amarinder, adding that no political interference should be brooked in the case and the police should have complete authority to probe the matter in a neutral manner, as per the due process of law.
Amarinder Singh, in response to a question, dismissed the demand for the resignation of Central Home Minister Rajnath Singh on moral grounds over the stalking case as “absurd”. How can Rajnath be held responsible for the incident, or for that matter for any such irresponsible behaviour involving individuals or party leaders or their kin in any part of the country, be it even Punjab, he asked.
The Chief Minister also urged Chandigarh MP Kiron Kher, whom he met briefly outside Parliament, that the culprits in the stalking case should be dealt with strictly, as per the law.
Notably Vikas (23) and his friend Ashish Kumar (27) were arrested and booked under bailable sections of the IPC and Motor Vehicles Act last week and released on bail within hours. The Chandigarh police has refused to charge the duo for attempting to kidnap the victim. Speaking to reporters on Monday, UT Senior Superintendent of Police Eish Singhal made it clear that the police was not in any hurry to include the charge in the FIR.
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Related Topics: BJP, Capt. Amarinder Singh, Chandigarh, Congress Party, Indian Politics, Punjab Politics