Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 5

Two youths, one of them the son of Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala, were today arrested by the Chandigarh Police for allegedly stalking the daughter of an IAS officer well past Friday midnight.  Though released on bail, the two were detained for “questioning”.

They have been booked under Sections 354-D (stalking) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the IPC and Section 185 (driving by a drunken person or by one under the influence of drugs) of the Motor Vehicles Act.

(Follow ; and )

As per the police, Vikas Barala (23), an LLB student, came to meet his friend Ashish Kumar (22), a law graduate. While on a car ride, the two drank beer and started chasing a young girl, who happened to be an IAS officer’s daughter. 

Read: 

The 29-year-old complainant said she was heading home in Panchkula after car repairs. On her way, a white Tata Safari (HR-23-G-1008) began to chase her and its driver tried to block her way near a school in Sector 26. She sped away, but the Safari again blocked her way.

Terrified, she phoned the PCR (police control room) for help even as the Safari driver repeatedly swerved the car, not allowing her to halt at any  light point. She finally stopped her car at the housing board lights where several vehicles were lined up. 

One of the youths came out of the car and tried to open the rear door of her car. 

He banged on the window. “Luckily, the central lock was on. I reversed the car and fled,” she said. The ordeal lasted 25 minutes, from 12.20 am to 12.45 am. “It was clear that they tried to abduct me,” she alleged.

After a while, she received a call from the police, telling her that they had arrested the culprits. She was asked to come to the police station to file a complaint. “Based on the girl’s statement, Sections 164 of the CrPc and Section 341 of the IPC have also been added. Legal opinion will be taken if more Sections are to be included,” said Satish Kumar, DSP (East).

From Chandigarh Tribune

The young victim, who braved the late night harassment and alleged abduction attempt by two drunken youths in an SUV, has set an example for other girls to come forward and report such incidents to the police. Calling it the scariest day of her life, she advocates defence training to girls and carrying personal-defence equipment. She shares her experience in a chat with Chandigarh Tribune:

It must have been a horrific experience?

I was extremely scared last night. Nothing could have been worse than this. This was the scariest day of my life so far?

How swift was the Chandigarh Police?

I am very thankful to the police. Had the police not acted swiftly, I may not have been fine today. After the incident, the women cell offered me support. They also helped me mentally.

Do you think Chandigarh is a safe place for women?

This is probably the safest city in India. I never felt unsafe in the city before this incident. Isolated incidents were there but this was an outrageous act.

Do you think incidents of eve-teasing go unreported?

Girls should not be afraid and should take a stand. If such people are not taught a lesson, then the situation will never improve. We talk of women's safety, so we also have to walk the tightrope.

What was the reaction of the public at the spot?

At the Housing Board chowk, I had to stop my car due to the red signal while the youths in the SUV were following me. One of the youths even tried to open my door, but fortunately it was locked. Out of fear, I constantly honked my horn, so as to seek people's attention. But, no one acted. May be they were afraid that the youths could be carrying a weapon. I cannot blame them. But we expect the public to at least call at 100 at such point.

What should girls do for their safety?

I am glad I am safe as the police acted swiftly, but quick assistance may not always be there. So, self-defence training is a must for women. I am trained, so I did not panic and could sense initially they were chasing me. Then I noted down the number of their car and called up the police. Also, I think girls should carry pepper spray, sticks or scissors in their cars for safety. I had scissors in my purse, but not pepper spray. I will keep one from now on.

Stalked by Haryana BJP chief's son, Chandigarh girl shares her terrible experience on Facebook.

WAS ALMOST KIDNAPPED ON A CHANDIGARH ROAD LAST NIGHT

That being said, I’d like to take a moment to commend and thank Chandigarh Police for unparalleled efficiency and attention to a distress call from me. They almost restore my faith in the system.

I was driving home from the Sector-8 market at about 12:15am, and crossed the road into Sec-7, near a petrol pump. I was also on the phone with a friend at the time, and realised about a minute later that a car was following me. 

It was a White SUV, and as I noticed it, it pulled up and started driving alongside my car. I was now in Sec 7, heading towards the lights next to St. John’s school in Sector 26. 

There were 2 guys inside the SUV, and they seemed to really be enjoying harassing a lone girl in the middle of the night, judging by how often their car swerved, just enough to scare me that it might hit me.

By now I was totally alert and mildly panicky, so I decided to turn right from the St.John’s school traffic lights towards Madhya Marg (a more crowded, seemingly safer road).

I tried to turn right from the lights but the SUV blocked my way, forcing me to go straight into Sec 26. At the next turn, I tried to turn again, but this time they went a step further.

Right at the turn, they blocked the road in front of my car, and the guy in the passenger seat got out of the car and started walking towards me. I reversed as fast as I could and went straight and took the next right turn before they could catch up again. I used this time to also call the cops at 100, and explain to them the situation and my exact location and where I was headed. The cop who answered my call, intuitively sensed the urgency in my voice, and promised me that help would be along very soon.

I hung up and had now reached the main road, and hadn’t seen the SUV for about 15 seconds, so I hoped, that they’d seen me calling the cops and disappeared. I was wrong.

I was now on a straight road for about 5-6 km (Madhya Marg), and that entire time, the SUV stayed alongside my car, trying to bully me into stopping every 10-15 seconds LITERALLY.

I was in a full-blown panic attack by now because they would keep trying to corner me, and I’d somehow manoeuvre my way out and keep moving. 

Half in tears, half bewildered, because I didn’t know if I’d make it home tonight. 

These guys INCESSANTLY bullied me all the way to the Solitaire hotel, and at the traffic lights, blocked my car for the final time. 

This time they meant business, because they left me absolutely no space to move or escape, and the passenger JUMPED out of the car and moved towards mine.

I don’t know how, but I reversed my car and moved to the right where there was space, all this while constantly honking. At this point, the guy had reached my car, banged loudly on my window, AND TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR HANDLE!

Just as he did this, I saw a PCR pull up at the lights. A couple of cops ran out towards the SUV, nabbing it just in time.

If this is what women deal with in one of the safer cities in the country, where are we going? 

LADIES! Please be proactive about your own safety. STAY SAFE, LADIES!

The father of the victim, an IAS officer, said the issue was being highlighted as a politician and a bureaucrat are involved but it should be taken as a case of eveteasing.

“The media is giving some other angle to the case. It is a simple case of two adults chasing a girl and harassing her. While she was being chased, it was not known whose son they are or whose daughter she is,” he told Chandigarh Tribune.

On only non-bailable sections being added to the FIR, he said: “I cannot question the system on the very first day of the incident because this is the system which has got my daughter safe. The police are the best persons to decide what sections are to be added.” The girl alleged the youths tried to abduct her.

He also wrote on his FB account: “We are thankful that she survived this ordeal. The goons had a very clear intention of abducting her, and she escaped because of her courage and presence of mind. But it was a very close call, and her trauma is unimaginable. I suppose it will take her a long time to get back to a normal life.

As a father of two daughters, I feel compelled to take this matter to its logical conclusion.

“Our clear intention is to bring the culprits to book. We do not intend to harm the families or relatives. However, we know it's not going to be an easy struggle. The possibility of harassment, threats and even physical harm is undeniable, even though unlikely. Influential families can sometimes take desperate measures to discredit or disable the complainants. Sane friends may advise us against our action. We may be foolhardy,” he added.