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Stalking case returns to haunt BJP MP's son Vikas Barala. Haryana govt drops him as AAG in swift U-turn
Stalking case returns to haunt BJP MP's son Vikas Barala. Haryana govt drops him as AAG in swift U-turn

The Print

time3 days ago

  • Politics
  • The Print

Stalking case returns to haunt BJP MP's son Vikas Barala. Haryana govt drops him as AAG in swift U-turn

The move, confirmed to ThePrint Monday by a senior Haryana Home Department officer, comes after widespread public indignation and a sternly worded letter to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini by 45 ex-IAS officers from across the country and criticism by the main opposition party, Congress. Gurugram: In a rapid volte-face, the Haryana government revoked the appointment of Vikas Barala, son of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, as Assistant Advocate General (AAG) just 10 days after his name featured in a list of 97 law officers engaged by the state government for its AG office. Also read: Solan court allows woman's plea challenging closure report in gang rape case against Haryana BJP chief The controversial appointment On 18 July 2025, the Haryana government headed by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini issued a notification appointing Vikas Barala AAG in the Advocate General's Delhi office. The appointment was a part of an overall recruitment of 97 law officers, such as Additional Advocate Generals, Senior Deputy Advocate Generals, Deputy Advocate Generals, and Assistant Advocate Generals, approved by then-Governor Bandaru Dattatreya. Barala's appointment caused instant controversy because he was accused in the 2017 Varnika Kundu stalking case, which had raised questions on women's safety and the role of political patronage into focus. Vikas, the son of then-Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala (now, a Rajya Sabha MP), was charged with stalking and trying to kidnap disc jockey Varnika Kundu, daughter of a retired IAS officer V.S. Kundu, on the evening of 4 August 2017, in Chandigarh. The case is still pending at a Chandigarh court, with the next hearing on 2 August 2025. Varnika Kundu, who was 29 at the time, was returning home from Chandigarh's Sector-8 market at around 12:15 AM. In her complaint, she said Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar had followed her in a Tata Safari, tried to close in on her, and tried to get into her car. Kundu described how the accused took her in the direction of Sector-26, with one of them getting down and trying to open her car door, but failed as it had central locking. She informed the Chandigarh Police through the emergency helpline (100), disclosed her location, and called her father, resulting in the immediate arrest of Barala and Kumar. An FIR was filed under Sections 354D (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint), 365 (attempt to abduct), 511 (attempt to commit an offence), and charges of drunken driving under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A 200-page chargesheet was filed on 20 September 2017, and charges were framed on 13 October 2017. Barala spent five months in Chandigarh's Model Jail at Burail, during which he continued his law studies and appeared for exams. The trial, now in the defence evidence stage, has seen over 100 hearings but remains unresolved after eight years, with Kundu expressing frustration over repeated adjournments. The appointment of Barala as AAG stirred massive outrage, with Varnika Kundu speaking up for the first time on social media. In a moving four-page Facebook message, she said, 'Appointing someone to a public position of power is not just a political decision, it's a reflection of values and standards. The questions must be posed to the authorities whose ethics permitted this action.' She emphasised the protracted legal fight, observing that in spite of months of national publicity, her case had made very little headway. 'While we appear no nearer a verdict than we were five years ago, I still have hope in the judiciary until the verdict comes out—but I won't lie and say that faith hasn't weakened,' she further said. Kundu thanked the public and media for the support which, she said, brought tears to her eyes and gave her strength. Kundu's blog post struck a chord, re-igniting debates on the case that had originally inspired the 'Bekhauf Azaadi' movement in Chandigarh, causing Google Maps to re-designate Chandigarh's 'Geri Route' as 'Azadi Route' in 2018. The 'Geri Route' in Chandigarh is a well-known stretch of roads, primarily spanning Sectors 8, 9, 10, and 11, with the core area being around colleges like DAV College and Government College for Girls. 'Geri' (or 'Gedi') is a Punjabi term that loosely translates to 'rounds' or a leisurely drive/stroll. The 'Geri Route' has been a popular spot for the youth of Chandigarh, especially college students, to cruise around in their cars and motorbikes, socialise, and show off their vehicles. Google Maps' action of changing the name of this stretch to 'Azadi Route' was a symbolic move to reclaim public spaces for everyone and challenge the 'geri culture' which, at times, was associated with harassment of college girls and women visiting the markets along this route. The IAS officers' letter On 26 July 2025, 45 retired IAS officers of the 1986 batch (Varnika's father V.S. Kundu's batch), with officers like P.D. Vaghela, former TRAI chairman, G.V. Venugopala Sarma, former chairman of the National Authority of the Chemical Weapon Convention, and Ravi Capoor, former secretary, textiles ministry, addressed an open letter to CM Saini. The letter, posted on X by the veteran journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, reacted in shock at the appointment of Barala, terming it a 'betrayal of Haryana's asmita (pride)' and a negation of the 'Beti Bachao' campaign. 'We cannot understand the logic of the appointment of a man who has been accused of stalking a woman as AAG,' the letter said. 'He will serve as the state legal officer when he himself is on the wrong side of the law in this grave case.' The officers asked for Barala's appointment to be revoked at once, citing the risk of his appointment affecting the pending trial. They also used the 2011 Supreme Court rejection of P.J. Thomas' appointment as head of Central Vigilance Commission in the wake of a pending case and asked that Barala's appointment be vetted similarly. The letter ended with a request to expedite the trial, pointing out that more than seven years had gone by without a verdict. Divya Spandana's post The scandal further picked up momentum with former MP turned actor Divya Spandana, popularly referred to as Ramya, tweeting on X on 23 July 2025, and fueling doubts over the screening process. She tweeted, 'The BJP Govt in Haryana has appointed the accused Vikas Barala in the Varnika Kundu stalking case as Assistant Advocate General of the very state that is prosecuting him!! @PMOIndia @AmitShah @arjunrammeghwal @NayabSainiBJP How could the screening committee have sanctioned this?' The BJP Govt in Haryana has appointed the accused Vikas Barala in the Varnika Kundu stalking case as Assistant Advocate General of the very state that is prosecuting him!! @PMOIndia @AmitShah @arjunrammeghwal @NayabSainiBJP How did the screening committee approve this? — Ramya/Divya Spandana (@divyaspandana) July 23, 2025 After the government decided to withdraw Barala, Spandana cheered on X on Monday, saying, 'Win for us!!! On days like these, this piece of news makes me so happy. Accused Vikas Barala's name has been removed from the Haryana Law Officers list. This would not have been possible without all the women who stood up for Varnika—and not to forget the men too who supported us in this fight. This is proof that justice does win out, if we stand together.' Win for us!!! On days like these, this piece of news makes me so happy. Accused Vikas Barala's name has been dropped from the Haryana Law Officers list. This would not have been possible without all the women who stood up for Varnika- and not to forget the men too who supported… — Ramya/Divya Spandana (@divyaspandana) July 28, 2025 She had mentioned on X that she tagged some journalists, actors Richa Chadha, Mahua Moitra, and CM Nayab Saini, attributing concerted efforts in the overturning of the decision. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Retd IAS write to Haryana CM on engaging stalking accused Vikas Barala—'betrayal of Beti bachao'

Two dead, three injured as speeding SUV rams into vehicles, pedestrians in Gandhinagar; driver arrested
Two dead, three injured as speeding SUV rams into vehicles, pedestrians in Gandhinagar; driver arrested

Indian Express

time6 days ago

  • Indian Express

Two dead, three injured as speeding SUV rams into vehicles, pedestrians in Gandhinagar; driver arrested

Two people died and three people were injured after a speeding SUV rammed into several vehicles and pedestrians in Randesan area of Gandhinagar on Friday, police said. The deceased included Hansa Rohit Vaghela (65) and Nitin Pratap Vasa (63), said Inspector VR Kher of Infocity police station. The incident took place around 10.45am when the Tata Safari, allegedly being driven in a rash and negligent manner, hit pedestrians and two-wheelers on the road in the capital city of Gujarat. Police officials confirmed that when the driver of the vehicle allegedly attempted to escape the site of the accident, he was apprehended by locals and thrashed before being handed over to the police team that reached the spot. The accused, Hitesh Patel, was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Those injured included Kamini Vipin Oza (65), Bipin Amrutlal Oza, and Mayur Babul Joshi, who works for the Metro. Joshi had suffered a hand fracture and injury to his head but is conscious and responding to medical treatment, the medical officer on duty at SMVS Hospital, where he is receiving treatment, told The Indian Express. On a visit to Rajkot, when asked about action taken in this case, Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, said, 'As soon as I learned about the hit-and-run incident in Gandhinagar, I spoke to the Range Inspector General (IG) and the Superintendent of Police (SP) as well as the hospital. I have instructed them (the police) to form a joint team and take immediate action in the case.'

Speeding SUV hits two-wheeler, pedestrians in Gandhinagar; 2 dead, 3 injured after
Speeding SUV hits two-wheeler, pedestrians in Gandhinagar; 2 dead, 3 injured after

Hindustan Times

time6 days ago

  • Hindustan Times

Speeding SUV hits two-wheeler, pedestrians in Gandhinagar; 2 dead, 3 injured after

Ahmedabad: Two people were killed and three others injured on Friday when a speeding sports utility vehicle hit a two-wheeler and some pedestrians in Randesan area of Gandhinagar, police said. According to CCTV footage, the incident took place at about 10:15am. (Screengrab) According to CCTV footage, the incident took place at about 10:15am. Police said 35-year-old Hitesh Patel was behind the wheel when the Tata Safari rammed into people on the left side of the service road. Police said it was yet to be determined if Patel was under influence of alcohol or drugs at the time. 'The accused Hitesh Patel was driving at high speed. It appears he was traveling at more than 80 kilometers per hour,' said Gandhinagar superintendent of police (SP) Ravi Teja Vasamsetty. He said the accused has been booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The deceased have been identified as Hansaben Vaghela and Nitinbhai Vas. Earlier in March this year, an MSU law student Rakshit Chaurasiya, 23, hit three vehicles, killing a woman and injuring several others, while driving under the influence of drugs on March 13. Officials said forensic tests showed Chaurasiya was high on marijuana when he was driving a friend's car at the time of the incident near Chandravali Circle in the Karelibaug area.

Don't Sell Your Old Car, Give It To Scrap Instead And Get More Money, Here's Why
Don't Sell Your Old Car, Give It To Scrap Instead And Get More Money, Here's Why

News18

time22-07-2025

  • Automotive
  • News18

Don't Sell Your Old Car, Give It To Scrap Instead And Get More Money, Here's Why

Last Updated: Recently, an Instagram reel went viral on the internet, where the presenter explained the benefits of the 2025 scrapping policy, and encouraging people not to sell old cars. Is your car old, and planning to sell it to get some benefits from it? What if we say that the same is worth more than what you think? Sounds strange, right? Well, a viral video that surfaced on the internet will make you in a simple way. Recently, an Instagram reel has received a massive viewership in no time. All the credit goes to the valuable content inside it, as the presenter explained the importance and benefits of the 2025 scrapping policy instead of selling it for peanuts. Take a look at the reel here The clip has been shared by an Instagram handle named Carswithrohit, where he encouraged people not to sell old car, and give them to scrap instead, as it will give benefits worth of Rs lakhs. Here's How To Get Benefits In the clip, he explained all the scrapping policy of 2025 with a smart example, giving a big caption under his post that reads, " Here's what happened to my friend. He sold his old Honda City for Rs 80,000 and upgraded to a Tata Safari. Seemed fair… until we did the math. He missed out on ₹3 lakhs worth of benefits." He explained the benefits of scrapping policy under the same caption. He said that under the vehicle scrappage policy, you get 4–6% of the car's original value. The authority gives you a certificate of 5% off on your next car, reducing the actual value on a new purchase by lakhs. It also comes with a 25% off on road tax, which eventually ends up saving you more money than selling your old car for peanuts. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy moves AP High Court to quash case over Palnadu accident
YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy moves AP High Court to quash case over Palnadu accident

New Indian Express

time26-06-2025

  • Politics
  • New Indian Express

YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy moves AP High Court to quash case over Palnadu accident

VIJAYAWADA: Former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has filed a petition in the AP High Court seeking to quash a case registered against him by the Nallapadu police in connection with a fatal accident at Rentapalla village in Palnadu district. The incident occurred during Jagan's visit, resulting in the death of Cheeli Singayya after being struck by a vehicle. Jagan, named the second accused, argued that the vehicle he was travelling in weighed nearly 4,000 kg with security personnel, making it unlikely to have crushed the victim. He dismissed the police version as fabricated and politically motivated. Initially booked under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (death by negligence) based on a complaint by Singayya's wife, the case was later altered to include Sections 105 (culpable homicide) and 49 (abetment), allegedly based on a statement by one Durga Rao. Jagan contended that a Tata Safari initially identified as the vehicle involved in the accident, and its driver and owner were arrested, and later released on bail. He criticised the seizure of his vehicle, the addition of serious charges without evidence, and warned of damage to his reputation. He requested interim relief, and an urgent hearing, which Justice V Lakshmanarao scheduled for Thursday. Petitions from YSRCP leaders, including Subba Reddy, Perni Nani, Vidadala Rajini, and K Nageswara Reddy, were also posted for hearing on the same day.

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