BCI stays order suspending license of Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar President Vikas Malik

The Bar Council of India (BCI) recently 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..Malik is currently in judicial custody in the criminal case related to the case of physical assault. Before his arrest by the Chandigarh Police, he had temporarily stepped down from the post of HCBA President after the High Court directed the Bar Council to look into sexual harassment allegations against him.Malik had also challenged suspension of his license before the BCI. In an order passed on July 27, the BCI said,"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 also directed the State Bar Council to send the case records to it within 15 days. The matter is next listed on August 31..The State Bar Council's Disciplinary Committee had earlier said that Malik time and again tried to interfere with the administration of justice and "brought stigma" upon the noble and prestigious post of HCBA President and lowered the dignity of the one of the best High Courts in the country. "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," it had said in the order dated July 10..Malik was booked by Chandigarh Police on July 1 under various provisions of 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 by him and others when he was allegedly assaulted..He was arrested on July 12. His bail plea is currently pending before the Chandigarh District Court and is listed for hearing on August 1.