NCW demands free, fair probe in Chandigarh stalking case

New Delhi: The National Commission for Women has sought a free and fair probe in the case of alleged stalking of a Chandigarh-based woman by the Haryana BJP chief's son. The commission has also asked for regular updates in the case, NCW Chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam told PTI. "In the letter (to police) we have asked them to conduct a quick, immediate, fair and free investigation in the case and let us know what is happening in every stage," she said. The comments by the commission head came amid allegations by the Congress that the central government and the state BJP were conspiring to hush up the case. In a Facebook post yesterday, the woman's father, an IAS officer, also asked people to fight crime against women while sharing the ordeal his family was going through. The woman also expressed her anguish in another post saying she was "lucky not to be the daughter of a commoner or else who knows what her fate could be". The son of Haryana's ruling BJP chief Subhash Barala, Vikas (23), and his friend and Ashish Kumar(27), were arrested and later released on bail. The two were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act. Kumaramangalam also said, "I have always said that who are these people should not matter who the person is their antecedents don't matter, they could be rich poor political religious, doesn't matter. Crime against women is crime against women." She further said that, "Unfortunately the police and the judicial system comes under a lot of pressure from the so- called VVIPs and that is not correct." Kumaramangalam also described as "regrettable and unfortunate" the reported remarks by Chandigarh BJP vice president Ramveer Bhatti that girls and women should not be going out alone during midnight. However, Bhatti denied making such comments and said, "What I meant to convey is that it is the responsibility of parents to watch over their children and their activities. It is a general statement and not one directed at the victim.