Advocate arrested by Haryana Police in Murder case approaches Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on November 12 a writ petition filed by an Advocate challenging his arrest by the Haryana police in connection with a murder case.

The case was mentioned before Chief Justice of India BR Gavai bench for urgent listing. Senior Advocate and SCBA President Vikas, also told the bench that the matter related to the independence of the legal profession.

Advocate Vikram Singh, who was arrested by the Special Task Force, has sought his immediate release and a judicial probe into the alleged illegal actions of the STF, Gurugram, in Haryana. A direction to quash “all criminal proceedings instituted against the petitioner in connection with FIR No…registered at Police Station Sector-8, Faridabad, Haryana, under Sections 302, 34 of the IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act," has also been sought.

Singh was arrested on October 31 allegedly without written grounds of arrest or independent witnesses, and is lodges in Faridabad jail.

“In the course of his professional duties, the petitioner has represented several clients in criminal cases between 2021 and 2025, including persons alleged to have connections with one Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu. All such representations were undertaken purely in the discharge of his professional obligations and in conformity with the Advocates Act and the standards of professional ethics....However, instead of respecting the independence of the Bar, the investigating agency has sought to criminalise the petitioner’s professional association with his clients, thereby undermining the rule of law and the sanctity of the advocate-client relationship,” the plea states.

Last week, lawyers across all district courts in Delhi abstained from work on Thursday, November 6, in protest against the arrest of Advocate Vikram Singh by the Haryana Police.

The Coordination Committee of All Delhi District Court Bar Associations announced the strike, terming the arrest a “direct and deliberate attack on the independence of the legal profession.” Singh, who was representing an accused in a murder case registered in January 2024, was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Gurugram Police based on a disclosure statement. In a circular issued on Tuesday (November 4), the Committee said the arrest amounted to an attempt to intimidate and silence advocates from performing their professional duties without fear or favour. “Such conduct by the police authorities not only undermines the rule of law but also shakes the confidence of the legal fraternity at large,” the circular stated.

The Committee strongly condemned the action and demanded the “immediate and unconditional withdrawal” of the proceedings against Singh. It called upon all bar associations in Delhi to ensure full participation in the strike and abstain from court work.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) also issued a statement on November 4, condemning the action of the Gurugram STF, calling it a “gross misuse of power” and “an attack on the independence of the legal profession.”

Both the Coordination Committee and the DHCBA have reiterated that every advocate has the right to discharge professional duties without fear or intimidation, and any interference in that right strikes at the heart of the rule of law.

Mentioning Date: November 11, 2025

Bench: CJI Gavai, Justices Chandran and Anjaria