The Haryana government, under Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, has drawn sharp criticism after appointing Vikas Barala, son of BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, as Assistant Advocate General (AAG). The controversy stems from Vikas Barala’s pending criminal case related to charges of stalking and attempted abduction filed in 2017 by Varnika Kundu, daughter of senior IAS officer V.S. Kundu.
A government notification issued on July 18 confirmed the appointment, listing Vikas Barala among 97 individuals selected for various legal positions, including AAGs, Deputy Advocate Generals, Senior Deputy Advocate Generals, and Additional Advocate Generals in Haryana. The move has sparked outrage across political and legal circles, raising questions about merit, ethical considerations, and the transparency of appointments to high-profile legal roles.
The incident that led to Vikas’s notoriety occurred on the night of August 5, 2017, in Chandigarh. According to the complaint lodged by Varnika Kundu, Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar allegedly followed her car for several kilometers and tried to forcibly enter her vehicle. The two were booked under serious sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including:
- Section 354D – Stalking
- Section 341 – Wrongful restraint
- Section 365 – Attempt to abduct
- Section 511 – Attempt to commit an offence
- Charges of drunk driving were also added.
Vikas Barala was arrested on August 9, 2017, and lodged in Chandigarh’s Burail Model Jail. He remained in custody for nearly five months before being granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in January 2018. During his time in custody, he was allowed to appear for his law exams in December 2017.
Notably, the case against Vikas Barala is still under trial in a Chandigarh court. The appointment of an individual facing such serious criminal charges to a senior legal post in the state’s legal machinery has raised eyebrows.
At the time of the 2017 incident, Subhash Barala was serving as the President of the Haryana BJP, a position he held from 2014 to 2020. Critics argue that the appointment of his son, despite pending criminal charges, reeks of nepotism and political favoritism, and sends a troubling message about the standards of public accountability.
