Latest news with #Vikas
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Accused of stalking, Haryana BJP leader's son appointed law officer
BJP MP Subhash Barala 's son Vikas Barala , accused in a case of stalking, has been appointed as a law officer in the office of the Haryana advocate general , officials said on Wednesday. He 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. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Digital Marketing Leadership MCA Artificial Intelligence Others others PGDM Project Management Data Science Product Management Technology Finance Data Science Operations Management Healthcare Degree Management Public Policy healthcare CXO Cybersecurity Data Analytics Design Thinking MBA Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategies Customer Journey Mapping Paid Advertising Campaign Management Emerging Technologies in Digital Marketing Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Digital Marketing and Analytics Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategy Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Social Media Marketing & Advertising Data Analytics & Measurement Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business Professional Certificate Programme in Digital Marketing Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details The incident leading to the charges against Vikas occurred in 2017 when his father was the Haryana BJP chief. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bahadurpalli: 1 Trick to Reduce Belly Fat? Home Fitness Hack Shop Now Undo Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar had been charged with stalking and attempting to kidnap a senior IAS officer 's daughter by a court here in October 2017. The trial in the case is ongoing before a Chandigarh court. The complaint in the matter was filed by the daughter of a senior IAS officer, who was 29 at the time of the incident. She had then accused the men of stalking and attempting to abduct her. Live Events On August 5, 2017, Vikas, who was 23 at the time and a law student, along with Kumar, had allegedly followed the complainant'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). Initially arrested on the night of August 4-5, 2017, they were released on bail as their charges were bailable under the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act . They were later re-arrested on August 9, 2017, after cooperating with the investigation, but received bail again from the high court in January 2018. Vikas appeared for a law examination on December 18, 2017, while in police custody, after being granted bail specifically to take his exams. In June, the state government had constituted a 'selection committee' under the Haryana Law Officers (Engagement) Act, 2016 for finalisation of the selection process for engagement of 100 law officers -- which included 20 Additional Advocate Generals, 20 Senior Deputy Advocate Generals, 30 Deputy Advocate Generals and 30 Assistant Advocate Generals, in pursuance to advertisement dated January 31. Haryana's Advocate General , Parvindra Chauhan and Vikas Barala were not reachable for comments on the appointment.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Who is Vikas Barala? BJP MP's son in news over key Haryana appointment; criminal proceedings still underway, outrage follows
CHANDIGARH: The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP govt in Haryana has appointed Vikas Barala , an accused in the stalking and attempted abduction of the daughter of a former Haryana bureaucrat, as assistant advocate general in the office of advocate general (AG), Haryana. The AG Haryana-headed screening committee that recommended his appointment included Mani Ram Sharma, special secretary, home department, as nominee of additional chief secretary (home), legal remembrancer Ritu Garg, and two retired judges - Darshan Singh and H S Bhalla. Son of former Haryana BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, Vikas will be representing Haryana's govt before judicial platforms in Delhi, including the Supreme Court. The appointment order was issued by the Haryana home secretary on July 18. He is among seven law officers appointed by Haryana's govt for the state's legal cell in Delhi. A total of 96 law officers of the rank of additional advocate general, senior deputy advocates general, deputy advocate general and assistant advocates general, were appointed by the state on July 18 to represent the state before the Punjab and Haryana high court at Chandigarh and in Delhi. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo Vikas Barala did not respond to TOI's calls for his comments. Usually, those affiliated with the ruling party are appointed law officers and their tenure is co-terminus with the party in power. The criminal trial against Vikas is on before a Chandigarh court, with the next hearing on Aug 2. Prosecution evidence is being recorded at this stage of the trial. According to the complaint, on Aug 5, 2017, Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish had allegedly followed a bureaucrat's daughter and tried to stop the car of a senior Haryana bureaucrat. The girl called Chandigarh police, who apprehended the youths and filed a case against them under IPC 354D (stalking) and the Motor Vehicle Act. Later, police added two more sections for attempted kidnapping and arrested the accused, who eventually made bail. Vikas's father, Subhash Barala, was then Haryana BJP president.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Haryana: On bail in sexual harassment case, BJP MP's son appointed law officer
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala, who is 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, according to an official notification dated July 18. Named as accused in the 2017 case, Vikas's name is among the 97 new appointments listed in the notification to the posts of Assistant Advocate Generals, Deputy Advocate Generals, Senior Deputy Advocate Generals and Additional Advocate Generals. The trial in the sexual harassment case is still being heard in a Chandigarh court, and Vikas is currently on bail. Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar were booked on August 5, 2017, under IPC sections 354D (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint), 365 (attempt to abduct) and 511, apart from charges of drunk driving. The complaint was filed by Varnika Kundu, daughter of Haryana-cadre IAS officer V S Kundu, who alleged that the duo chased and tried to forcibly enter her vehicle late at night in Chandigarh. Subhash Barala was Haryana's BJP chief at the time when the state was under his party's rule. Based on Varnika's complaint, an FIR was registered at the Sector 26 police station, and Vikas and Ashish were arrested on August 9, 2017, after an uproar. Charges were framed against the accused in October that year. Vikas, meanwhile, was lodged in Chandigarh's Model Jail at Burail until bail was granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in January 2018. The next date of hearing in the trial is listed on August 2, 2025, for recording of defence evidence. Vikas was a law student at the time of the incident and, in December 2017, was allowed by the High Court to appear for the degree exam from Kurukshetra University. Subhash Barala served as Haryana BJP chief from December 2014 to July 2020. He lost the October 2019 Assembly polls from Tohana in Fatehabad district and was appointed as chairman of the Haryana Bureau of Public Enterprises. In February, 2024, he was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana. When contacted, Varnika's father V S Kundu told The Indian Express: '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.' Kundu retired in December 2022 and was appointed as head of the state's revenue commission chairman. On Tuesday, he attended a meeting chaired by Haryana minister Vipul Goel on digitisation of land records and training of officials. Haryana's Advocate General Parvindra Singh Chauhan did not respond to requests from The Indian Express for comment on Vikas's appointment to his office. When contacted, Subhash Barala office said that he would revert with a comment but he did not do so. Vikas Barala was not available for comment. Congress leader and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda questioned the government decision. 'Only competent people should be appointed in the Advocate General's office,' Hooda told The Indian Express.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Stalking case accused, son of BJP ex-state chief, named Haryana assistant advocate general
Vikas Barala (File photo) CHANDIGARH: The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP govt in Haryana has appointed Vikas Barala , accused of the stalking and attempted abduction of the daughter of a former Haryana bureaucrat, as assistant advocate general in the office of advocate general (AG), Haryana. The AG Haryana-headed screening committee that recommended his appointment included Mani Ram Sharma, special secretary, home department, as nominee of additional chief secretary (home), legal remembrancer Ritu Garg, and two retired judges - Darshan Singh and H S Bhalla. Son of former Haryana BJP chief and RS MP Subhash Barala, Vikas will be representing Haryana's govt before judicial platforms in Delhi, including SC. The appointment order was issued by Haryana home secretary on July 18. He is among seven law officers appointed by Haryana's govt for state's legal cell in Delhi. A total of 96 law officers of the rank of additional advocate general, senior deputy advocates general, deputy advocate general and assistant advocates general, were appointed by the state on July 18 to represent the state before Punjab and Haryana HC at Chandigarh and in Delhi. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Vikas did not respond to TOI's calls for his comments. The criminal trial against Vikas is on before a Chandigarh court, with the next hearing on Aug 2. Prosecution evidence is being recorded at this stage. According to the complaint, on Aug 5, 2017, Vikas and his friend Ashish had allegedly followed a bureaucrat's daughter and tried to stop the car of a senior Haryana bureaucrat. The girl called Chandigarh police, who apprehended the youths and filed a case against them under IPC 354D (stalking) and the Motor Vehicle Act. Vikas's father, Subhash Barala, was then Haryana BJP president.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Six men arrested for running fake lottery and gift scam by posing as foreign women and using fraudulent bank accounts
New Delhi: Six men, including two Nigerian nationals, were arrested for running a fake lottery and gift scam. They posed as foreign women online, befriended victims, and claimed to send gifts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Victims then received calls from fake airport officials demanding money to release the parcels. The scammers often used UK-based phone numbers to appear legitimate. Another method involved contacting people on social media, claiming they won a lottery and needed to pay a fee to claim the prize. These tactics convinced many victims to transfer money, believing they were dealing with genuine individuals and organisations based abroad. The accused were identified as Shedrack Onainor (29), Vikas (25), Shahid Raza (45), Shahrukh Khan (23), Rakesh (22), and Sunday John (40). They were arrested from multiple places in the city. Raza was nabbed from West Delhi, and based on his information, a raid was conducted in South Delhi's Khanpur, from where Onainor, a Nigerian national, was nabbed. Based on his information, other accused individuals, including John, another Nigerian national, were apprehended. Raza is the father-in-law of Shahrukh. Onainor arrived in India on a medical visa in 2013, which expired in 2018. He stayed illegally and, with Nigerian associates, scammed Indian citizens through fake lotteries, gifts, and parcels. He collected money via Indian accomplices Raza and Khan, who also provided bank accounts for fraudulent transactions. "Raza, uneducated and previously employed in Saudi Arabia, joined the racket around 7–8 years ago for a 15% commission. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With his son-in-law Shahrukh, he collected ATM cards and withdrew cash for Nigerian handlers. Khan joined 6–7 years ago. He used UPI IDs to transfer defrauded funds," Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Vikram Singh said. Vikas opened multiple bank accounts using a fake address in Delhi and handed over ATM cards and SIMs to Rakesh, who then forwarded them to Raza and Khan. Vikas received 3% of each transaction. Vikas's brother Rakesh helped manipulate Aadhaar details to open accounts, receiving a 2% commission. John arrived on a business visa in 2023, which expired in 2024. He illegally remained in India, collecting defrauded funds across Delhi/NCR and splitting them with Nigerian co-conspirators. "Onainor, along with associates, led the fraud by luring victims online. Once victims transferred funds, Shedrack coordinated with Indian handlers for the collection and distribution of cash. Rakesh and his brother Vikas opened 18–20 fake bank accounts in Vikas's name. They altered Aadhaar addresses to Delhi, obtained SIMs, and used forged documents. An associate helped update Aadhaar without verification," police said.
