“My granddaughter is very brave. She showed great courage and presence of mind in not letting those two goons succeed in their evil designs. Not just me, but the entire village is proud of her,” said Pataso Devi, an aunt of Varnika’s father Virender Kundu, at their native village Shahpur here.
Ms. Devi (70), the wife of Mr. Kundu’s youngest uncle Chaturbhuj, recalled that she met Varnika, a disc jockey, only a couple of times over all these years. “I remember meeting her when I went to their house a few years ago. I met her again recently when I went to Chandigarh after I got to know about the incident,” said Ms. Devi, a widow. Her husband, a schoolteacher in Haryana government, died more than a decade ago.
Family tree
Mr. Kundu’s father Krishan Singh moved to Chandigarh in the late 1960s and took up law after quitting his job of an auditor.
“Virender’s father mostly stayed outside in connection with his job. Even Virender was born in Shimla. Virender, his elder sisters and mother stayed in the village for a few years, but moved to Chandigarh when he was just eight,” recalled Ms. Devi, who stays with one of her two sons in the village. Mr. Singh and his family continued to visit the village even after they had settled in Chandigarh, but their visits dried up after his death two decades ago.
“Virender last came to the village around five years ago to express condolences on a death in the extended family. His children, however, never came to the village. I do not know how they look. I saw Varnika only on television recently,” said Murti, a distant relative.
Two of Mr. Singh’s brothers -- Pratap and Raghubir -- also moved out of the village along with their families long ago. “Pratap was a driver at the Raj Bhawan and stayed in Chandigarh. His family moved to Rohtak after his death. The family of Raghubir, who was also a driver at an embassy, stays in Delhi,” said Zile Singh, one of the villagers.
Proud village
The success of Mr. Kundu, an Additional Chief Secretary in the Haryana government, is a matter of pride for the entire village. The villagers said he is still connected to his roots and is very helpful. “He always stands by us in our hour of need. So we decided to hold a protest in his support after the police did not take action in the case. Some villagers even blocked the road. The Kundu Khap also came out in his support and a few Rohtak villages, mostly inhabited by the Kundus, staged a protest,” said Jagbir Singh, an ex-serviceman.
A panchayat was slated on August 10 seeking immediate action in the case, but it was called off in view of the arrest of the accused.
Some resentment
Many in the village have visited Mr. Kundu at his Chandigarh residence since the incident and a few others called him over phone.
The stalking incident has led to strong resentment among the villagers. “The BJP government says Beti Bachao , Beti Padhao . But how can we let our daughters step out of the house when we are not sure about their safety? Varnika is an IAS officer’s daughter, but still the police delayed action. What about the safety of hundreds and thousands of common girls going to schools, colleges and offices everyday? Who will ensure their safety,” asked Ms. Devi.
