Chandigarh stalkers sent to 2-day police custody

Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar were on Thursday remanded to two-day police custody by a court in Chandigarh in the alleged stalking and attempt to abduction case of a 29-year-old woman.

The Chandigarh police sought remand of the two accused saying it wanted to recreate the crime scene.

Civil judge Barjinder Pal Singh sent the two accused to police custody till August 12.

The request for the reconstruction of the 'crime' scene by the police came a day after Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra said the police had got 'new facts and evidences' including CCTV footage in the stalking case.

Vikas and Kumar were brought to the court around 2:30 pm on Thursday from the Sector 26 police station, amid tight security.

Vikas, who wore a blue shirt, tried to hide his face from the media by putting a handkerchief on his face when he was brought.

The prosecution sought a two-day police remand for both the accused, saying they wanted to recreate the 'crime' scene.

Defence lawyer Surya Prakash objected to the demand for remand, saying the case was built merely on the victim's apprehension about kidnapping.

The defence counsel submitted that the accused were cooperating with the police and pointed out that no recoveries including any weapon were to be made from them.

"The woman is saying there was an apprehension of kidnapping. If they (accused) had any intention to kidnap, they would have followed her," the defence counsel said.

The charge of attempt to abduct was slapped 'under pressure', he said. He also submitted that a media trial was going on in the case.

Later, talking to reporters outside the court, the defence lawyer asserted that both Vikas and his friend did not commit any offence.

"If one car is coming after another car, does it become an offence?" he said when asked about the CCTV footage of the alleged incident.

Police has been investigating the case for the last five days and whenever they have been called, both the youth have joined the investigation, he said.

He said that claim that one of the accused had tried to open the door of victim's car was only an allegation.

"Merely on the basis of apprehension that she is going to be kidnapped,... can such a charge can be added?" he asked.

He claimed that the FIR was lodged after five hours of the incident.

During the day, the father of victim, a senior IAS officer, went to the Sector 26 police station where the case has been registered.

The two accused were re-arrested on Wednesday and were charged with attempted abduction under section 365 of the Indian Penal Code and section 511, which relates to an attempt to commit an offence punishable with life or other imprisonment.