Haryana: Son of BJP MP Subhash Barala, Facing Kidnapping, Sexual Harassment Charges, Appointed Law Officer

On August 5, 2017, Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar were charged under IPC sections 354D (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint), 365 (attempt to kidnap), and 511, along with the offence of drunk driving.

Representative image. (Photo: Gemini)

Vikas Barala, son of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, facing charges of sexual harassment for allegedly stalking and attempting to kidnap the daughter of an IAS officer eight years ago, has been appointed as Assistant Advocate General (AAG) in Haryana, as per an official July 18 notification, the Indian Express reported.

On August 5, 2017, Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar were charged under IPC sections 354D (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint), 365 (attempt to kidnap), and 511, as well as the offence of drunk driving. The complaint was filed by Varnika Kundu, daughter of Haryana cadre IAS officer VS Kundu, in which she alleged that the two men followed her late at night in Chandigarh and tried to force their way into her car.

The sexual assault case is currently going on in a Chandigarh court and Vikas is out on bail. The trial’s next hearing is scheduled for August 2, 2025, to record defense evidence, the Indian Express reported. 

Varnika Kundu’s father, IAS officer V S Kundu, declined to comment on the appointment and said it is the government’s responsibility to decide on such matters. He also expressed frustration that the seven-year-old case remains unresolved.

“This isn’t something that I or my daughter need to comment upon. It is for the government to see what kind of people they appoint or not appoint. The case is still on, which is unfortunate. We started with a lot of faith in the judiciary but unfortunately it has been seven years and the defence witness is yet to commence,” Indian Express quoted VS Kundu as saying.

Subhash Barala, who headed the state unit from December 2014 to July 2020, is a close aide of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

A Jat leader, he bhad lost the October 2019 assembly election with over 52,000 votes from Tohana constituency in Fatehabad.