Who is Vikas Barala, BJP MP's son, facing stalking case, appointed law officer?

A row has erupted after Vikas Barala, son of BJP MP Subhash Barala, was appointed as a law officer in the office of the Haryana advocate general. Vikas is accused in a case of stalking. The complainant has slammed the move, saying appointing someone to a public position of power is not just a political decision, it's a reflection of values and standards.

Vikas Barala appointed as law officer

Vikas has been appointed as an assistant advocate general and will represent the state government before judicial platforms in the national capital. His appointment is part of a broader recruitment of 100 law officers by the government, which was officially notified on July 18, according to an appointment order issued in this regard recently. His father, Subhash Barala, is currently a Rajya Sabha MP.

Vikas Barala is facing a stalking case

The incident leading to the charges against Vikas occurred in 2017 when his father was the Haryana BJP chief. Varnika Kundu, the daughter of an IAS officer (retired), had then accused Vikas and his friend of stalking and attempting to abduct her in her complaint. She was 29 at the time of the incident. She has now expressed her disappointment at the development.

What's the case?

Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar had been charged with stalking and attempting to kidnap Kundu by a court in Chandigarh in October 2017. The trial in the case is ongoing before a Chandigarh court. On August 5, 2017, Vikas, who was 23 at the time and a law student, along with Kumar, had allegedly followed Kundu's car in their SUV and tried to block the way. The charges against them were framed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 354d (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 365 read with 511 (attempt to kidnap).

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Varnika Kundu issues statement

Taking to social media on Wednesday, Kundu issued a statement, and while she did not name Vikas directly, she called out the authorities involved in Vikas' appointment as a law officer. "Appointing someone to a public position of power is not just a political decision, it's a reflection of values and standards. So, perhaps, the questions should be directed at the authorities whose ethics and standards allowed this decision to be made. Our policymakers run the country; the rest of us are just hoping they remember that they work for the Indian citizen," she said in her post.

(With inputs from PTI)