Vikas Barala, accused of stalking Chandigarh woman, summoned by police

NEW DELHI: Police have on Wednesday summoned the Haryana BJP president's son Vikas Barala, the man accused of stalking and harassing a woman in Chandigarh on Friday night. He's been asked to appear at 11 am.

Vikas is a son of Subhash Barala, the head of the BJP's Haryana unit. He and a friend of his allegedly stalked, harassed and almost waylaid Varnika Kundu, who was driving alone in Chandigarh on Friday night. Varnika is a daughter of a Haryana IAS officer.

Chandigarh: Police summons Haryana BJP President's son Vikas Barala at 11 am today, in stalking case pic.twitter.com/tVtTESfAor

— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2017

The Haryana BJP president's son was earlier arrested Friday night after Varnika called the police while she was being chased around the city by Vikas and a friend of his. He was later granted bail. The Congress alleged that "police proceeded to lodge a case (against Vikas) under bailable offences on the direction and diktat of the Union government".

The woman, a daughter of a senior Haryana IAS officer, was driving by herself in Chandigarh when Vikas and his friend began to follow her, she said. At one point they allegedly backed her into a corner and came out of their vehicle towards her car, but she managed to pull away, she wrote in a Facebook post.

Allegations are flying fast and thick that the BJP is trying to shield the Baralas, even as calls for his resignation are increasing, some say even within the BJP.

The BJP's Haryana unit chief finally spoke to the media on Tuesday saying Varnika is "like my daughter" and denying there is any pressure to influence the investigation into the alleged stalking incident, reported ANI.

"Varnika is like my daughter, there is no pressure to influence the investigation," said Barala.

"The law should take its own course, the BJP is a party which believes in women's rights and freedom," Vikas's father said.