In Tricity, politicians’ tryst with crime not new

Though the woman had recorded her statement under CrPC Section 164 supporting her allegations, later she retracted her statement. Police initiated proceedings under Section 182 of the IPC against her for lodging a false complaint. However, the trial went on for at least three years, leading to the acquittal of Barnala in February 2009. Police did not find any merit in the challenge to the MLA’s acquittal in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The prosecution failed to prove the allegations, further weakening the rape case.

Murder case against Congress MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary
Ram Kumar Chaudhary, Congress MLA for Himachal Pradesh’s Doon constituency, was arrested along with 10 others for allegedly murdering his employee Jyoti (21) in November 2012 near Sector 21 of Panchkula. Jyoti was crushed under a truck to make it difficult to identify the body.

Later, police arrested the Congress MLA and his five accomplices on murder charges and six others for allegedly harbouring the MLA when he remained absconding for around one month. Police, who claimed that Chaudhary had been in a physical relationship with Jyoti and got her to abort her pregnancy, said in the chargesheet that the Congress leader and his associates had killed the woman to keep her silent. A fast-track court, however, acquitted the MLA and others citing insufficient evidence in September 2014. Moments later a senior Haryana police officer replied to a media question, “It depends on how the court takes the evidence collected by the investigation agency”.

Murder of Akansh Sen, nephew of former Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh
Akansh Sen (23), a nephew of senior Congress leader and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, was crushed under the wheels of a BMW following a verbal altercation between two groups in Sector 9, Chandigarh, in February 2017.

A special investigation team was formed and Harmehtab Singh Rarewala, a grandson of erstwhile Patiala and East Punjab States Union chief minister Gian Singh Rarewala, was arrested. According to police, Harmehtab was sitting on the front passenger seat and had instigated the driver, Balraj Singh Randhawa, to mow Sen down.

Though Harmehtab was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2019, Randhawa is still absconding. Police believe he had reached a western country via Nepal.

Molestation case against son of Haryana BJP leader Subhash Barala
Vikas Barala, son of Haryana BJP leader Subhash Barala was arrested along with his friend Ashish Kumar for allegedly stalking, molesting and making an attempt to kidnap a senior IAS officer’s daughter in August 2017 in Chandigarh. The charge of attempt to kidnap was added to the FIR only after huge protests by the Opposition.

However, the case is still pending in the district court in Sector 43. A 300-page chargesheet was filed against Vikas Barala, then a law student, and Ashish Kumar in November 2017.