A local court on Friday framed charges of abduction and wrongfully restraining and stalking a woman, against Vikas Barala, son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, and his friend, Ashish Kumar.
Vikas Barala and Ashish Kumar allegedly chased Varnika Kundu, a disc jockey, in their SUV, while she was returning home from Chandigarh to Panchkula on August 5.
The judicial magistrate court of Barjinder Pal Singh, pronouncing the order, stated that all the charges in the FIR have been added in the charge-sheet filed by the police.
Defense lawyer Rabindra Pandit told reporters that charges under different sections of Indian Penal Code have been framed against Vikas and Ashish, which include: 354 D (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 365 read with 511 (attempt to kidnap).
The duo was first arrested on August 5 on the complaint of Varnika Kundu, but they were soon released on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.
Later, Chandigarh police found itself in a tight spot over allegations from political parties and activists for “diluting” the case by not evoking serious charge of kidnapping. The accused were then re-arrested on August 9, after police charged them with Sections 365 and 511 of the IPC for attempt to abduct in the already registered FIR.
