Chandigarh Court grants bail to Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar leader Vikas Malik

A Chandigarh Court on Thursday granted bail to advocate Vikas Malik in a criminal case related to physical assault of another lawyer. .Additional Sessions Judge Dr Harpreet Kaur said the alleged attack on the complainant had taken place in the spur of the moment and cannot prima facie be said to be premeditated.“It would be a matter of trial as to whether the alleged injuries inflicted upon the complainant were given with an intention to kill or not or whether the offence under SC/ST Act is made out against the applicant-accused,” the Court said..Malik, who till recently was the President of Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association (HCBA), had on July 4 temporarily stepped down from the post after the High Court directed the Bar Council to look into sexual harassment allegations against him.Soon thereafter, he was arrested by the Chandigarh Police on July 12. Judge Kaur today said the presentation of challan and conclusion of trial in the case would take considerable time.“Therefore, no useful purpose would be served by keeping the applicant-accused in custody,” the Court said while granting bail to Singh..Advocate Terminder Singh represented the accused.Additional Public Prosecutor JP Singh represented the Police.Advocate Davinder Singh represented the complainant. .Malik was booked by Chandigarh Police on July 1 under various provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act for allegedly assaulting another lawyer, advocate Ranjeet Singh, in the HCBA office at the High Court premises.Singh had been allegedly assaulted when he 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. .After the FIR was registered, Singh was also accused of removing the DVR of the CCTV cameras installed at the HCBA office. All these incidents had prompted the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana to suspend Singh’s licence to practice.The Bar Council of India had recently stayed the State Bar Council’s decision. .[Read Bail Order]