BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey) BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Monday said he will file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the stalking and attempted kidnap case of the daughter of a senior IAS officer. Swamy’s associate lawyer in Chandigarh said they will file PIL depending upon the action the police will take in next 72 hours in the case.

“With my associate lawyer AP Jagga on attempted abduction of a IAS officer’s daughter by two drunk goons I will file a PIL in Chandigarh,” he wrote on Twitter.

The woman was allegedly stalked by Haryana BJP chief’s son Vikas Barala and his friend in Chandigarh.

Advocate Jagga said he has been asked by Swamy to issue a statement that they will file the PIL in the High Court depending upon how the Chandigarh and Haryana police act in the case in next 72 hours. “We have to look at what action the Chandigarh and Haryana police take in next 72 hours in the case and then we will decide if we need to file the PIL. We will issue a statement in this regard,” said Jagga. “We want the police to book the accused under appropriate sections of law.” Read: Chandigarh stalking: Accused granted bail amid high drama at Sector 26 Police Station. Click here

Chandigarh Police has come under major criticism for for booking the accused Haryana state BJP chief Subhash Barala’s son Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar under bailable charges and not invoking the IPC sections 365 and 511 against the accused for the attempted kidnapping of the woman.

Vikas, son of BJP Harayana president Subhash Barala, and his friend were arrested on Saturday on the charges of stalking and harassing the IAS officer’s daughter in Chandigarh. Both were booked under section 354 D (stalking) of IPC and 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act (driving by a drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs), but were granted bail the same day.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that accused will be punished if found guilty. “I came to know about this incident. Chandigarh Police has filed the complaint and I believe they will take appropriate action. This matter is not related with Subhash Barala but with an individual. So action would be taken against his son,” he said. Read: Chandigarh ‘stalking’ case: They blocked my way, tried to open door of my car, says daughter of IAS officer. Click here

Swamy’s remarks come at a time when the party is under fire from the opposition for trying to protect their party members. “This is extremely clear that BJP is pressurizing Chandigarh administration and hatching conspiracy to protect the son of its political leader,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said. He also questioned how the CCTV cameras installed on seven locations became dysfunctional. “Now new things have come out that five out of seven CCTV cameras were non functional. How have they suddenly become non functional? We have lost the importance piece of evidence,” he said.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also asked the state government to punish those who were guilty. He also alleged that ‘someone’ was helping the accused. “Clearly someone is helping the accused at New Delhi. Why are the PM and BJP president so silent about stalking of women?” he wrote on Twitter.

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