E-Paper
Sixth stalking case in a week: 3 held for harassing woman in Chandigarh
The victim had gone to drop off her friend at the Sector-43 bus stand when three men on a bike started following her.
The sixth case of a woman being stalked in the city in a week has come to light. A 23-year-old woman from Baltana had gone to the Sector-43 bus stand to drop off a friend close to midnight on Thursday when three men on a bike started following her.
After she had dropped the friend, they allegedly tried to touch her inappropriately but she drove on, until they intercepted her scooter at the bus stand chowk. “They tried to pull out the keys of her Activa and even roughed up the girl and molested her,” the police said, according to the complaint.
When she cried out, a passerby stepped in to help her and managed to catch one of the men, while the other two fled and were later arrested in the early hours of Friday on the basis of information by the one caught. All three were produced before a court and sent to judicial custody.
The men were identified as Monu, Ajay and Sandeep alias Kala, all residents Dadumajra Colony (DMC), who worked as garbage collectors in Sector 40. As per the police all the accused were drunk. The case was registered under section 341 (wrongful restraint), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at the Sector-36 police station.
Know stalking
In the law, stalking is defined as following a woman and contacting, or attempting to contact, such woman to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest by such woman; or monitor the use by a woman of the internet, email or any other form of electronic communication.
Punishment is imprisonment for not less than one year, up to three years, plus fine. It is a bailable offence. It got limelight in August this year in Chandigarh when a DJ, Varnika Kundu, was allegedly stalked by Vikas Barala, son of the Haryana BJP chief, and his friend.
Recent cases
Dec 20: Police booked two 18-year-old men, Sanju and Happy, for stalking and assaulting a 16-year-old girl in Maloya
Dec 19: Two men arrested for harassing a student near Sector-31 petrol pump
Dec 18: Punjab cop and two students held for stalking, trying to kidnap a woman in wee hours in Sector 36
Dec 17: Three PU students arrested for passing lewd comments at a student of the English department
Dec 15: High court lawyer arrested for stalking, assaulting a Mohali woman working at a private bank in Sector 8
