Delhi court shooter was debarred as advocate for threatening woman

Kameshwar Kumar Singh, arrested for firing at a woman in Saket court, was barred from practising law in 2022 following allegations of fraud and threatening another woman, Prem Lata, her lawyer claimed Friday.

The woman, an advocate herself, had filed a case under IPC Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) against Singh in 2016 at Mehrauli police station, said Rajesh Tiwari, her lawyer.

Tiwari said his client was getting a building constructed but the builder fraudulently gave the flats to Singh for Rs 70 lakh following which she approached the police.

Since then, Singh used to threaten her, Tiwari claimed.

The woman then approached the Bar Council of Delhi, which barred Singh from practising law for two years -- from September 12, 2022 to September 11, 2024.

The Bar Council said in a notice in December last year Singh's licence to practice as an advocate has been suspended for two years on "finding him guilty of gross professional misconduct and other misconduct".

"This has emanated from the complaint no. 180/2017 titled Ms Prem Lata, advocate, Vs Mr Kameshwar Kumar Singh, advocate," it said.

Under the Advocates Act, 1961, an advocate may be punished for misconduct by a State Bar Council on receipt of a complaint or otherwise.

A "disciplinary committee" of the council, after giving an opportunity of hearing to the advocate concerned, may "suspend" him from practice or even "remove his name" from the state roll of advocates if he is found guilty of professional or other misconduct.

The lawyer claimed that ever since the case is in the court, Singh has been threatening him and his client. The case was scheduled for hearing on Thursday.

"On Thursday, my client's case was heard and Kameshwar Singh was in court to attend the hearing. He threatened me even yesterday and said I will see you... I will shoot you... Even during the last hearing which was held on April 12, he had threatened me in front of the judge and warned me from pursuing the case. Even the judge heard it and warned him saying his actual place was in jail but he is out since he got bail," Tiwari said.

Next date of hearing in the case is July 13, he said.

When asked why he did not file a complaint against Singh despite being threatened multiple times, Tiwari said, "He keeps threatening but I am not afraid of him."

On Friday, Singh fired multiple shots at a woman inside Saket court complex against whom he had filed a case of cheating over a monetary dispute involving Rs 25 lakh and a hearing in the case was scheduled Friday.

The woman was injured in her abdomen and a hand, police said, adding the accused advocate has been arrested from Faridabad.