Vikas Barala was appointed Assistant Advocate General (AAG) in Haryana on July 18, 2025.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from civil society, opposition leaders, and 45 retired IAS officers
This raises concerns over nepotism and lack of transparency in the legal appointments process
Vikas Barala, son of senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, has once again entered the national spotlight following his controversial appointment as Assistant Advocate General (AAG) in Haryana in July 2025. A law graduate from Kurukshetra University, Vikas’s legal career has been shaped as much by his political lineage as by the shadows of his past—most notably, the ongoing trial stemming from his 2017 arrest in a high-profile stalking and attempted abduction case involving DJ Varnika Kundu.
While his supporters cite academic credentials and professional perseverance, critics point to political favouritism and ethical lapses in public appointments. Beyond the courtroom and political headlines, Vikas is known for his fondness for James Bond movies, MTV Roadies, and rap music, and grew up in the quiet rural setting of Dangra village in Tohana, Haryana—a background that both grounds his identity and contrasts sharply with his current controversial public role.
Vikas Barala was born in 1994 in Dangra village, Tohana, in Fatehabad district of Haryana, into a politically influential Jat family. He pursued his legal education at Kurukshetra University, where he completed his Bachelor of Law (LLB). Notably, during his time as a law student, he was arrested in 2017 in connection with the Varnika Kundu stalking and attempted abduction case. Despite being in judicial custody, he continued his academic pursuits and even appeared for a criminology examination from jail in December 2017.
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Following his graduation, Vikas Barala entered the legal profession. However, his career has remained overshadowed by the ongoing trial related to the 2017 case. Despite this, on July 18, 2025, he was appointed Assistant Advocate General in the Advocate General’s office in Delhi, responsible for representing the Haryana government in courts, including the Supreme Court of India. The appointment was met with significant public and political criticism due to the serious nature of the pending charges against him.
No other notable legal achievements, cases, or awards have been publicly documented in his career so far.
Vikas Barala married Shweta, a resident of Ladwa in Kurukshetra, on June 30, 2020, in a ceremony attended by several prominent political figures, including Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Details about Shweta’s profession or their relationship prior to marriage have not been made public. As of now, there are no publicly reported children, and Barala has kept his personal and married life private, with no verified dating history or past relationships documented in credible sources.
Barala maintains a low public profile, avoiding frequent media appearances and limiting his presence on social media platforms. He is known to have a personal interest in music, particularly enjoying the work of Eminem and Akon, and is a fan of James Bond movies. Public information suggests that while he consumes alcohol, he does not smoke. He identifies with Hinduism, though he has not spoken publicly about religious beliefs or practices.
Barala was born and raised in Dangra village in Tohana, Haryana, growing up in a traditional rural Jat family. Despite his family’s political prominence—being the son of senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala—he generally avoids the limelight outside of legal and political controversies. There is no available information about his early employment, but he is believed to have entered private legal practice soon after completing his LLB from Kurukshetra University, before his controversial appointment as Assistant Advocate General in 2025.
Barala’s personal and professional life continues to remain rooted in Haryana, and there are no public records indicating travel interests or favorite destinations.
The stalking case, registered on August 4, 2017, drew nationwide attention after Kundu, then a DJ, alleged that Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar followed her late at night, tried to block her path, and attempted to enter her car. She called the police in time, and the two were arrested. Charges under IPC Sections 354-D (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint), 365 (attempt to abduct), and 511 (attempt to commit an offence) were filed. Public criticism led to further scrutiny of police actions and political interference.
Vikas Barala was arrested on August 9, 2017, and spent five months in jail before being granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in January 2018. The Chandigarh Police filed a 200-page chargesheet in September 2017. However, since then, the case has seen over 100 hearings and numerous adjournments, delaying justice.
Varnika, now 36 and running a home-based bakery called “Chonky,” expressed disappointment at the slow pace of the judicial process. x“Despite months of national media attention, the case has dragged on with little progress. My faith in the judiciary wavers, but I still hold on,” she stated. The next hearing is scheduled for August 2, 2025, in the court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class.
The Haryana government’s decision to appoint Vikas Barala, an accused in the high-profile 2017 Varnika Kundu stalking and attempted abduction case, as Assistant Advocate General (AAG) has drawn widespread political and public backlash. The appointment was formalized on July 18, 2025, as part of a government notification that named over 95 new law officers, including Deputy and Additional Advocates-General, under the Haryana Law Officers (Engagement) Act, 2016.
Barala, currently out on bail and facing trial under serious charges such as sexual harassment, wrongful restraint, and attempted kidnapping, was selected for a significant legal role in the Advocate General’s office in Delhi, which involves representing the state in courts, including the Supreme Court.
According to Section 8(c) of the Haryana Law Officers Act, a person is disqualified only if convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude—unless the conviction is overturned or pardoned. A senior state official, speaking anonymously, defended the appointment, stating, “There is no legal irregularity. Barala is eligible and does not fall under any disqualification.”
However, this technical legality has not shielded the decision from criticism. Ethical and political concerns have been raised across party lines and civil society. Barala is the son of Subhash Barala, a Rajya Sabha MP and former Haryana BJP president, and his appointment has reignited debates on VIP impunity, women's safety, and dynastic privilege in Indian politics.
Critics argue that elevating an undertrial to a public office of legal authority is ethically indefensible, even if legally permissible. Notably, both Vikas and Subhash Barala have remained silent, offering no public response to the criticism or to media queries, including messages sent via WhatsApp.
A fresh wave of outrage has erupted over the appointment of Vikas Barala, an accused in the 2017 Varnika Kundu stalking case, as Assistant Advocate General (AAG) in the Haryana Advocate General’s Delhi office. In a strong statement, a group of 45 retired IAS officers from the 1986 batch, including senior officials like R.R. Jowel and Rajni Sekhri Sibal, has written to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, calling the appointment a serious lapse of ethics and governance.
The retired officers questioned the moral and legal justification of appointing someone facing trial for a grave offence involving harassment of a woman to a public legal post. Referring to the 2011 Supreme Court ruling that overturned P.J. Thomas’s appointment as CVC (Central Vigilance Commissioner) due to a pending criminal case, the signatories argued that Barala’s appointment was equally indefensible.
In their letter, they stressed that the decision undermines the spirit of the 'Beti Bachao' campaign and damages the “asmita” (dignity) of Haryana. They demanded immediate cancellation of Barala’s appointment and urged the government to ensure the case is fast-tracked, noting that over seven years have already passed since the incident.
Advocate General Pravindra Singh Chauhan, who led the selection committee, told The Indian Express that Barala "has not joined yet" and claimed he was unaware of Barala’s legal background. Chauhan also insisted that all appointments were based on merit, and not influenced by “surnames.”
Yet, an investigation revealed that at least 23 of the 97 selected candidates have close family ties to powerful figures—including seven relatives of judges, seven of IAS-IPS officers, and several connected to BJP leaders. The controversy raises questions about transparency and fairness in public appointments, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s 2016 warning against politicized selections of law officers.
While some appointees like Aakash Singla and Ruchi Sekhri defended their inclusion citing long-standing legal experience, the spotlight remains firmly on Vikas Barala, whose pending criminal case and political lineage make his selection particularly contentious. The matter now casts a shadow over the integrity of Haryana’s legal appointment process. [Rh/VP]