Fidal Tom, a Supreme Court advocate, was assaulted by police personnel and then held at Sanjay Colony Police Station without an arrest memo, the Lawyers’ Association for Constitution (LAFC) alleges. The allegations are the Association’s, they are untested, and no response from Delhi Police was available at the time of writing.
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New Delhi: Writing to the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, the Lawyers’ Association for Constitution (LAFC) has demanded the immediate release and medical examination of its member, Supreme Court advocate Fidal Tom, who it alleges was assaulted by police personnel and is being illegally held at Sanjay Colony Police Station after a protest on Saturday evening [Complaint by Lawyers’ Association for Constitution regarding Adv. Fidal Tom].
The demand, and the warning
Besides Mr Tom’s release, the Association wants medical treatment as medically necessary and steps to secure his physical safety and prevent any further assault or intimidation. The subject line of the letter also seeks preservation of evidence. The letter frames the matter as one of the rule of law and the independence of the Bar, saying:
“The custodial assault of a practising advocate of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India raises grave concerns not only regarding his personal liberty and safety but also regarding the rule of law and the independence of the Bar.”
The Association asks the Commissioner to intervene personally that night. If prompt and effective action is not taken, it warns, it will approach the appropriate court for urgent relief without further notice. It has also sought an acknowledgement of the complaint and immediate word on the action taken.
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From a phone call to no word at all
The letter, dated 10 October 2026, says a colleague of Mr Tom received a call at about 6 PM from Prajeesh, who was with him at the protest, saying that Mr Tom had been assaulted by police personnel. Mr Tom’s mobile phone then stopped responding, the letter says, and for several hours his colleagues and family had no reliable information on his whereabouts, condition or safety. On the latest information available to the Association, he remains in the custody of Sanjay Colony Police Station and is injured.
It further alleges that no arrest memo or written grounds of arrest have been given or shown to his colleagues, that no relative, friend or senior advocate has been told of the arrest, and that his counsel has not been allowed to meet him. Several advocates who went to the police station to assist Mr Tom and other detainees were refused entry, it says. The Association calls the injuries of the detainees, who are in police custody, a grave concern for their constitutional rights, personal liberty and physical safety.
The provisions the Association relies on
In the Association’s view, the circumstances, if established, amount to serious violations of Articles 21 and 22(1) of the Constitution and of the safeguards under Sections 35, 36, 37, 47 and 48 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, as well as the Supreme Court’s settled principles on arrest, detention and the prevention of custodial violence. These are the Association’s contentions. No court or authority has examined them.
Where the day stands
Earlier on Saturday, the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association had sought the Chief Justice of India’s intervention over the detention of lawyers during protests in Delhi, and the CJI communicated to the authorities that the detained lawyers should be released. The grounds for Mr Tom’s detention have not been made public, and no court proceedings have been reported. The story is developing.
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Case Details: Complaint dated October 10, 2026 by the Lawyers’ Association for Constitution (LAFC) to the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, regarding the alleged assault and detention of Adv. Fidal Tom at Police Station Sanjay Colony. No legal proceedings have been reported.
Appearances: Not applicable.