The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the immediate release of a Delhi-based lawyer, granting him interim protection after he alleged he was illegally arrested by the Gurugram Special Task Force (STF) as a form of “retaliation” for professionally representing clients in criminal cases. A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai directed his release on a ₹10,000 bail bond and scheduled the matter for a detailed hearing on November 19.
The lawyer’s plea argues that his arrest sets a dangerous precedent for the legal profession, a point forcefully argued in court by his counsel, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh. “Anybody (any lawyer) practicing criminal law will now be susceptible to all this,” Singh contended. “I am not saying lawyer has some (special) protection. If there is some evidence on record, he must be taken into custody… any admissible evidence… But there is none.”
The petition details a sequence of events the lawyer describes as a “deliberate and mala fide exercise of power.” He claims he was coaxed into visiting a Gurugram police station, only to be arrested on October 31 without being given any grounds. The arrest came after the lawyer had moved court applications highlighting “custodial assault and ill-treatment” faced by one of his clients.
The plea further alleges that prior to the arrest, the STF’s investigating officer resorted to “coercive WhatsApp communications” to demand confidential case details, violating statutory advocate-client privilege.
According to the petition, the lawyer’s professional representation of clients between 2021 and 2025, including individuals allegedly linked to one Kapil Sangwan alias “Nandu”, has been “misconstrued as criminal complicity.” He argues that the only material relied upon by the STF is an “uncorroborated, inadmissible in law” disclosure statement that led to no recovery. He maintains he has acted strictly within his professional obligations under the Advocates Act, 1961.
In granting relief, the Supreme Court bench, also comprising Justices Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria, noted, “Petitioner is an advocate and not likely to evade process.” The court ordered his release “forthwith” and directed the registrar to communicate the order directly to the Gurugram Commissioner of Police.
The Supreme Court has also sought a formal response from the Gurugram authorities. The lawyer’s petition seeks not only his release but also the quashing of all criminal proceedings against him, a declaration that his arrest was illegal, and a judicial inquiry into the STF’s alleged coercive conduct.
