The Supreme Court on Wednesday (November 12) directed the immediate release of Advocate Vikram Singh, who had been arrested by the Haryana Police in connection with a murder case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justices K. Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria passed the interim order while issuing notice to the Haryana Police on Singh’s writ petition challenging his arrest and remand. The Court ordered his release forthwith on a bail bond of ₹10,000.

Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the arrest was unlawful as the police failed to provide written grounds of arrest, in violation of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Mihir Shah v. State of Maharashtra. He also alleged that the police had been coercing the advocate to disclose details of his clients.

“In view of the submissions made, we are inclined to grant interim protection. The petitioner is an advocate and is not likely to abscond. As an ad-interim measure, we direct the respondents to release him forthwith,” the bench ordered. The Court further directed the Registrar (Judicial) to immediately communicate the order to the Commissioner of Police, Gurugram.

Advocate Singh was arrested by the Gurugram Special Task Force on October 31 and remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody by the Faridabad Judicial Magistrate on November 1. The FIR concerns the murder of one Suraj Bhan, allegedly shot dead by the gang of Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu. Singh’s client, Jyoti Prakash alias Babu, had been arrested in the same case in March 2024.

The petition highlights that Singh had previously filed multiple applications alleging mistreatment of his client in custody. It further states that despite receiving a notice under Section 41A CrPC, Singh was illegally detained when he appeared before the police on October 31.

Describing the case as an “exceptional instance” warranting the Supreme Court’s intervention under Article 32, Singh contended that his arrest amounts to a direct assault on the independence of the Bar. The petition argues that such action, taken nearly nineteen months after the FIR and when all other accused are on bail, was a “calculated attempt to intimidate and punish a lawyer for discharging his professional duty.”

The plea further asserts that compelling an advocate to reveal client information violates constitutional and professional safeguards, undermines the rule of law, and sends “a chilling message to the legal fraternity.” It also references a recent Supreme Court judgment prohibiting police officers from summoning advocates to extract client details.

The petition was drafted by Advocates Bhanu Pratap Singh, Kehshav Singh, and Md. Imran Ahmad, and filed through Advocate-on-Record Arjun Singh Bhati.

Case Title: Vikram Singh v. State of Haryana & Ors.
Case No.: W.P. (Crl.) No. 471/2025