Delhi High Court cancels anticipatory bail of advocate accused of raping lawyer, influencing her through judges

The Delhi High Court on Friday cancelled the anticipatory bail granted to a 51-year-old advocate accused of repeatedly raping and assaulting a 27-year-old lawyer and attempting to influence her through two judicial officers [PJ v State Govt of NCT of Delhi and Anr].Justice Amit Mahajan also ordered an administrative inquiry against the two judicial officers alleged to have pressured the survivor at the behest of the accused lawyer to dilute her case. “An administrative enquiry into the conduct of the concerned judicial officers, who were in contact with the prosecutrix, is also warranted, and it is directed that appropriate action in accordance with law be taken in this regard,” the Court ordered. .The case hit the headlines when the Delhi High Court took an administrative decision to place one of the judicial officers, Sanjeev Kumar Singh, under suspension and initiated a disciplinary probe against him and another district court judgeIn his judgment, Justice Amit Mahajan noted the accused had “made an egregious affront to the principles of justice” by trying to subvert the legal process and trying to influence the woman through judicial officers. “There is a grave possibility of Respondent No.2 further attempting to influence witnesses or tampering with evidence if he is allowed to go scot free. Thus, appropriate order is required to be passed so as to deter such conduct. Considering the aforesaid discussion, this Court is of the opinion that the present is a fit case to set aside the impugned order and cancel the pre-arrest bail granted to Respondent No.2,” the Court said. .The complainant woman, also a practising advocate, had filed an FIR in June 2025 at Neb Sarai Police Station, accusing the 51-year-old lawyer of rape, criminal intimidation, and assault. She alleged that the accused, a widower, forced himself on her several times over five years under the pretext of marriage and that she became pregnant earlier this year.According to the prosecution, the accused took her to a hospital for an abortion and later assaulted her at a country club in South Delhi, where CCTV footage reportedly captured parts of the altercation.While the Saket Sessions Court had granted him anticipatory bail in July, the complainant moved the High Court seeking cancellation, citing continued threats and attempts to influence her through WhatsApp messages and phone calls..During the hearings, the High Court reviewed audio recordings suggesting that ₹30 lakh had been offered to the woman to withdraw her complaint. Justice Mahajan noted that one of the judicial officers appeared to have discussed monetary settlement and job offers with the complainant if she agreed to withdraw her complaint.After considering the allegations, the High Court ruled that although the trial court had not erred in initially granting bail, the accused’s subsequent conduct “shocked the conscience of the court.” “Liberty of bail ought to be withdrawn when attempts are made to subvert the trial or sway witnesses,” the Court said. Therefore, the Bench directed the lawyer to surrender within a week. .The complainant woman was represented through advocates Jitendra Kumar Jha and Bhagwan Jha. Senior Advocates Vikas Pahwa and Madhav Khurana along with advocates Aarushi Singh, Natasha Garg, Riya Parihar, Anubhav Dubey, Jasmeet S Chadha, Thakur Ankit Singh and Somya Dhawan appeared for the accused lawyer. The State was represented by Additional Public Prosecutor Sunil Kumar Gautam. .[Read Judgment].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.