The Bar Council of India (BCI) stayed the Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana’s decision to suspend the license of Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association (HCBA) President Vikas Malik for allegedly assaulting a lawyer and removing the DVR of the CCTV cameras installed at the HCBA office.
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NEW DELHI: The Bar Council of India (BCI) stayed the decision by the Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana to suspend the license of Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association (HCBA) President Vikas Malik.
Malik is accused of assaulting a lawyer and removing the DVR of the CCTV cameras installed at the HCBA office.
Currently, Malik is in judicial custody related to the criminal case of physical assault. Before his arrest by the Chandigarh Police, he had temporarily resigned from his post as HCBA President following a High Court directive for the Bar Council to investigate sexual harassment allegations against him. Malik had also contested his license suspension before the BCI.
In an order dated July 27, the BCI stated:
“After perusal of the record and the arguments advanced by the Ld. Counsel for the petitioner, this committee is of the opinion to keep the interim order … passed by DC-VIII, of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana … where the license of petitioner was suspended till the final decision of the complaint and he is debarred from practice in any court of law, is kept in abeyance till the next date of hearing.”
The BCI further instructed the State Bar Council to submit the case records within 15 days. The next hearing is scheduled for August 31.
Previously, the State Bar Council’s Disciplinary Committee remarked that Malik had repeatedly interfered with the administration of justice, bringing “stigma” upon the prestigious post of HCBA President and diminishing the dignity of one of the best High Courts in the country.
The Committee’s order from July 10 stated:
“In the light of above mentioned compelling circumstances, we deem it appropriate that his licence should be suspended till the final decision of the present complaint so that apprehension of destruction of the evidence and influence of witnesses can be avoided.”
Malik was charged by the Chandigarh Police on July 1 under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly assaulting another lawyer, advocate Ranjeet Singh, in the HCBA office at the High Court premises.
Singh had gone to serve a dasti notice issued by the High Court to Malik in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against him by certain advocates alleging misappropriation of HCBA funds when the assault allegedly occurred.
Malik was arrested on July 12.
His bail plea is currently pending before the Chandigarh District Court and is set for hearing on August 1.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Bar President Vikas Malik
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