VS Kundu quizzed over phone talk with IAS officers, politicians

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23 

The defence counsel in the Varnika Kundu stalking case today questioned VS Kundu, a Haryana cadre IAS officer, about the calls shared by him and close to a dozen IAS officers a day after his daughter was allegedly stalked and abduction bid made on her.

During the cross-examination of the girl’s father, the defence counsel, Rabindra Pandit, asserted that Kundu sought help from the IAS lobby and some politicians to mount pressure on the Chandigarh Police to get a strong case registered against the accused.

Kundu was also questioned about his telephonic conversation with former CM of Haryana and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala during a few days after filing of the FIR. In his reply, Kundu denied to have called them. He stated that they called him after they came to know about the incident.

Kundu was also questioned about the calls made by him to UT Home Secretary Anurag Aggarwal, a Haryana cadre IAS officer, and UT Deputy Commissioner Ajit Balaji Joshi, another Haryana cadre IAS officer, on August 5.

The defence counsel asserted in the court that pressure was brought to bear on the Chandigarh Police by the IAS lobby of Haryana and political leaders to suppress vital evidence, including government CCTV footage of the route of the alleged crime, to favour the Kundus.

During the hearing today, the defence also pointed out how Varnika got a transcript of her conversation with the police control room, which, as per court records, she emailed to her father on August 17 when the prosecution first officially produced it before a court that was hearing the bail application of one of the accused on September 12.

On the night intervening August 4 and 5 last year, Vikas Barala, son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, and his friend Ashish had allegedly followed Varnika Kundu and tried to abduct her. She called the UT police, following which the two youths were nabbed. At the time of the incident, they were said to be under the influence of alcohol.