SC stays Haryana STF's probe against Delhi lawyer in murder case

New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Haryana Police Special Task Force investigation against a Delhi-based advocate who was arrested in a murder case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Prasanna B Varale and K Vinod Chandran also confirmed the interim bail granted earlier by it on November 12 to lawyer Vikram Singh in the case.

It took note of the submissions of senior advocate Vikas Singh and said that the probe, qua the lawyer, will not proceed.

"I am not asking for discharge today, let the status report be called from the CBI, after that, if the bench thinks it fit for discharge … the way the prosecution is behaving in this case is atrocious!" the senior lawyer said.

The bench, however, did not stay the entire investigation in the matter and said the plea for handing over the probe to the CBI will be taken up later.

On Wednesday, the senior advocate alleged that the lawyer had been subjected to custodial torture and arrested solely to extract information about his clients.

"He was tied to a pole all night and made to sleep like that. WhatsApp messages were sent despite this court's order restraining such communication... He was given third-degree torture. He was threatened that his hair would be cut, and it was cut immediately at the police station," Vikas Singh said.

He also alleged that STF officials were pressuring Vikram Singh to "settle" a gang-war because he represented certain accused.

"How can a lawyer settle matters between hardened gangsters?" he asked and urged the bench to confirm the interim bail already granted and to transfer the probe to the CBI, "considering the seriousness of the allegations." He also pointed out that although the top court ordered the advocate's release on November 12, he was freed only on November 13 at 8.30 pm.

The counsel for Haryana denied any wrongdoing and submitted that Vikram Singh's bail bond was furnished only the next day, and that the release followed immediately thereafter.

He also said that the petitioner was making "misleading statements" and that the grounds of arrest had been duly supplied.

He added that it was the advocate who had initiated WhatsApp communication with the investigating officer.

Opposing any move to involve the CBI, the state counsel said that the murder case was being handled by the STF and transferring the present grievances would amount to transferring the entire investigation.

"So what is the issue? The CBI will investigate it much better," the CJI said and listed the plea for the hearing on Thursday.

Earlier, while granting the bail, the court had directed that Vikram Singh be released forthwith on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 10,000, and posted the matter for Wednesday.

The bench directed the registrar (judicial) of the top court to communicate the order to the Gurugram police commissioner for immediate compliance.

At the outset, Vikas Singh, who is also president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said that anybody practising criminal law will now be susceptible to these kinds of coercive measures.

He said the arrested advocate was representing gangsters, but these kinds of police atrocities against lawyers were impermissible.

Vikram Singh, an advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi since July 2019, was lodged in Faridabad jail before the grant of bail.

"In the course of his professional duties, the petitioner has represented several clients in criminal cases between 2021 and 2025, including persons alleged to have connections with one Kapil Sangwan @ Nandu. All such representations were undertaken purely in the discharge of his professional obligations and in conformity with the Advocates Act and the standards of professional ethics.

"However, instead of respecting the independence of the Bar, the investigating agency has sought to criminalise the petitioner's professional association with his clients, thereby undermining the rule of law and the sanctity of the advocate-client relationship," the plea said.

It said the lawyer was targeted after an application was filed before a court alleging custodial assault on one of his clients, Jyoti Prakash alias 'Baba', who reportedly suffered a leg fracture in STF custody.

"The retaliatory action by the investigating agency culminated in my illegal arrest," the petition said.

It said Vikram Singh was arrested on October 31 without a written grounds of arrest or independent witnesses, in violation of Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution.

On November 1, a trial court in Faridabad remanded Singh to judicial custody for 14 days by a mechanical and non-speaking order, devoid of any reasoning or material connecting him to the alleged offences, it said. PTI SJK VN VN