Supreme Court Bar Association issues show cause notice to Advocate Balraj Singh Malik, who has seven days to explain why he should not be suspended or expelled over his alleged conduct towards SCBA President Pradeep Kumar Rai.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has asked Advocate Balraj Singh Malik to explain why he should not be suspended or expelled from the Association, citing his alleged conduct towards SCBA President Pradeep Kumar Rai during a face-off on the Supreme Court lawns on 13 October [SCBA show cause notice to Advocate Balraj Singh Malik].
The notice is dated 13 October 2026 and was issued by SCBA Honorary Secretary Pragya Baghel. It records that the SCBA Executive Committee considered a complaint about the incident and found a prima facie case against Advocate Balraj Singh Malik. The allegations in the notice are the SCBA’s and have not been adjudicated.
Seven days, and no reply yet
Malik must submit a written explanation within seven days. The notice warns that if no reply comes, the Association may take further action. No response from Malik was available at the time of writing, and he is entitled to put his version before the Executive Committee before any decision is taken. LawChakra will update this report if he responds.
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What the SCBA alleges
Per the notice, SCBA President Pradeep Kumar Rai and members of the Executive Committee had gathered on the Supreme Court lawns at around 1:15 PM on Monday to show solidarity with advocates who, the Association says, were beaten during a protest on 10 October 2026. The SCBA alleges that during this gathering, and in media interviews given there, Malik used unparliamentary language and intimidated the President. A video of the face-off circulated widely on social media.
The notice also mentions a WhatsApp message attributed to Malik in which, the SCBA alleges, a member of the Executive Committee was called a “dalal” (broker). The Association says the conduct raises concerns under Rule 35 of its rules, and the notice stresses that the office bearers are elected and that Executive Committee decisions are taken by majority.
The backdrop: 10 October
Tension in the Bar has run high since the police action of 10 October, when protests against the Chief Election Commissioner took place in Delhi. The SCBA has moved the Supreme Court under Article 32, alleging that advocates near the Court were manhandled, detained and taken to distant locations during the police crackdown on protesters. The detained lawyers were released after a representation was made to the Chief Justice of India. The SCBA’s plea asks for a status report on the police action, including the detentions and the identities of the officers involved. Those allegations are also untested, and the police have not yet answered them before the Court.
Pradeep Kumar Rai, a Senior Advocate, was elected SCBA President earlier this year. Under him the Executive Committee has taken up the cause of the detained lawyers, and the 13 October gathering on the lawns was part of the Association’s show of solidarity with them.
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Who decides, and when
When Malik files his explanation, or the seven days run out, the Executive Committee will decide whether any action is called for. Suspension and expulsion are the outcomes he has been asked to show cause against; neither has been ordered, and the only finding so far is the Committee’s prima facie one.
Matter: Show cause notice issued by the Supreme Court Bar Association to Advocate Balraj Singh Malik (no case number; internal Bar Association proceeding)
Issued by: Pragya Baghel, Honorary Secretary, SCBA
Date: 13 October 2026
Time to reply: Seven days