In connection with an assault case, Vikas Malik, the president of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association, was granted regular bail by the court of Additional Sessions Judge on Thursday. Malik, who was selected to lead the Bar body in December 2023, has been in custody since July 1st as a result of allegations of assault made by resident attorney Ranjit Singh of Sector 23-D, Chandigarh.
The incident allegedly took place on the High Court premises, where Singh claimed he was attacked in his office by a group of individuals, including Malik. The Bar Council of India subsequently suspended Malik’s license pending the outcome of the case.
During the bail hearing, the Chandigarh Police strongly opposed the plea. On the other hand, Malik’s defence team—led by attorneys Tarminder Singh and Sunil Toni—argued for bail for two hours. They underlined that the event happened spontaneously and wasn’t planned. The defence further emphasised that there were no charges of attempted murder at the time the FIR was filed. These were only introduced subsequently, along with the charges under the SC/ST Act.
According to the judge, injuries seem minor and not fatal. Furthermore, he noted that the trial would take a long time yet it would not help to keep Malik in custody during such an extended period.
“It would be a matter of trial to determine whether the injuries were inflicted with intent to kill and if the SC/ST Act charges are applicable,” the court stated, allowing Malik’s bail application. The investigation and subsequent trial are expected to continue in the coming months.
