Chandigarh: The Haryana government has appointed Vikas Barala as an Assistant Advocate General. He is the son of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subhash Barala. This decision comes despite a pending stalking case against him. His name appeared in a list of advocates engaged on a contractual basis for one year, published on July 18. Barala has been posted at the State’s Legal Cell in Delhi.
Vikas Barala gained national attention in 2017. He and a friend were accused of chasing and attempting to abduct the daughter of an IAS officer in Chandigarh. He was arrested. He spent several months in prison. The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him bail in January 2018.
The case against Vikas Barala is still pending before a magistrate. The next hearing is scheduled for August 2 for defence evidence. The prosecution evidence in the case was closed in April this year.
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, Barala completed his law degree during the pendency of the case. He enrolled as an advocate in 2019. He was previously on a State government panel of lawyers. The panel was responsible for conducting cases on behalf of various Boards and Corporations.
The appointment has drawn criticism. The Haryana Law Officers (Engagement) Act, 2016, does not disqualify a lawyer for merely registering a case. It also does not disqualify for the pendency of a case. Disqualification occurs only upon conviction for an offense involving moral turpitude. Haryana Advocate General Pravindra Singh Chauhan was unavailable for comment on the appointment
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