The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has suspended the license of High Court Bar Association Advocate Vikas Malik and barred him from practicing before any court until a final decision is made regarding the complaints against him.
The decision was made by the Bar Council’s Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Karanjit Singh and including Member Rajat Gautam and Co-opted Member Ravish Kaushik. This action follows allegations that Malik had taken the hard disk from CCTV cameras installed at the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association premises.
Malik had recently transferred the role of HCBA President to Vice President Jasdev Singh Brar after a High Court division bench, led by Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, noted an FIR against Malik for allegedly assaulting a lawyer.
The Bar Council suspended Malik’s license after being informed that he had removed the DVR/Hard-Disk of the CCTV cameras to destroy evidence related to the FIR. The Committee noted that Malik had repeatedly interfered with the administration of justice and sullied the esteemed position of Bar Association President.
Additionally, the High Court recently directed the Bar Council to investigate sexual harassment allegations against Malik.
This order was issued in a PIL filed by advocates of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, alleging that Malik and the Secretary of the High Court Bar Association, Swaran Singh Tiwana, had misused and embezzled the Association’s funds.
