Chandigarh stalking case: Police avoid questions, term coverage as 'media trial'

CHANDIGARH: Facing backlash from all quarters for allegedly shielding Haryana BJP chief's son accused of stalking an IAS officer's daughter, Chandigarh police on Monday termed the coverage of the case as a trial by media. While addressing a press conference, Chandigarh's Senior Superintendent of Police Eish Singhal said that the police has recreated the scene of crime to investigate the case further. "We have recreated the crime scene and doing everything to help the victim. Don’t make this case a media trial," he said. "We are investigating the case with an open mind. If any section has to be added at a later stage, we will do it," he said, while trying to evade direct questions on the role of the Chandigarh Police in trying to shield the main accused, Vikas Barala, and his friend Ashish Kumar. He also denied any political pressure of police in order to protect Haryana BJP President Subhash Barala's son. The SSP blamed the media for conducting a "media trial" in the matter. While journalist questioned the role of police in this case, Singhal ended the press briefing abruptly and said he will inform media on developments in this case on a daily basis in coming days. Meanwhile Congress accused the government of trying to protect the Barnala's son , accused of stalking and trying to abduct a young woman. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Chandigarh Police, which comes under the Home Ministry, diluted the charges and booked Vikas Barala under bailable offences. Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah should say why the BJP leader's son was being protected and sought the Haryana BJP President's resignation. Accusing the BJP of adopting double standards, he said a few years ago a Haryana Congress leader was made to resign after an incident involving his son. Barala's son Vikas(23) and Ashish Kumar (27) were earlier arrested for allegedly stalking the woman here. However, both the accused were released later on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act. The incident had come to light when the woman, around 28 years of age, called up the police on Friday night, complaining that two youth were chasing her along a stretch of over five kilometre from Chandigarh right up to a point in the Union Territory, which is adjoining Haryana's border. (With IANS inputs)