The Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 27, 2026, refused regular bail to advocate Vikas Kumar, accused by the CBI of conspiring to manipulate judicial proceedings to usurp trust property in a multi-crore land fraud case.
Justice Manisha Batra found a prima facie case of Kumar’s participation in an organised criminal network, holding that his professional standing as a lawyer aggravated rather than mitigated his culpability, according to Bar & Bench.
Background: How We Got Here
The case centres on the Guru Nanak Vidhya Bhandar Trust, based in Daryaganj, Delhi, which owns approximately 32 bighas of land at Zirakpur.
According to Bar & Bench, Mohali police registered two FIRs between 2022 and 2023 following complaints by the trust. In October 2023, the Punjab and Haryana High Court transferred the investigation to the CBI.
- The first FIR alleged that members of a fake trust made a forcible attempt to take possession of the approximately 32 bighas of land at Zirakpur belonging to the complainant trust.
- The second FIR concerned the alleged use of forged documents to claim ownership over the same property, as reported by Bar & Bench.
- The CBI alleged that the accused created a trust bearing a name deliberately similar to that of the complainant trust, then filed a civil suit through advocate Vikas Kumar to legitimise forged ownership documents.
The case is titled Vikas Kumar v Central Bureau of Investigation and has been reported by LiveLaw under citation 2026 LiveLaw (PH) 246.
Per LiveLaw, the proceedings confirmed that Kumar was accused of colluding with co-accused persons to legitimise forged trust documents and manipulate court proceedings in furtherance of the scheme.
The Ruling — Key Findings
Justice Manisha Batra of the Punjab and Haryana High Court denied regular bail to advocate Vikas Kumar on July 27, 2026, in the case Vikas Kumar v Central Bureau of Investigation.
The court found that after the accused’s interim injunction plea was dismissed by a Dera Bassi court, Kumar allegedly conspired to shift the proceedings to Bathinda — where he regularly practiced — to facilitate manipulation of judicial outcomes, according to Bar & Bench.
The CBI further alleged that Kumar summoned bank officials and other witnesses in unrelated cases to obtain financial records of the complainant trust, procure false testimony, and exert pressure on the trust, as reported by Bar & Bench.
Kumar was additionally accused of fraudulently obtaining signatures on applications, summoning records without the knowledge of litigants, and attempting to influence a material witness during the CBI investigation.
Justice Batra made pointed observations about Kumar’s professional responsibility. As quoted by Bar & Bench, the court stated:
“Being an advocate by profession, he is presumed to be well-aware about the consequences of the actions done by him, by manipulation of the legal proceedings, obviously with intent to influence judicial outcome to the detriment of the complainant-Trust.” — Justice Manisha Batra, Punjab and Haryana High Court
The court held that the allegations disclosed a prima facie case of participation in an organised criminal network specifically aimed at usurping the land belonging to the Guru Nanak Vidhya Bhandar Trust.
Reactions & What’s Next
No separate statements from counsel or the CBI beyond the court record have been reported in the verified sources at the time of publication.
The bail denial means advocate Vikas Kumar remains in custody as the CBI investigation and underlying criminal proceedings continue. No next hearing date was specified in the available reports.
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Who is advocate Vikas Kumar and what is he accused of?
Advocate Vikas Kumar is a practising lawyer accused by the CBI of conspiring with others to manipulate judicial proceedings and legitimise forged documents in a scheme to usurp land belonging to the Guru Nanak Vidhya Bhandar Trust. The Punjab and Haryana High Court denied him regular bail on July 27, 2026, per Bar & Bench.
Why was the investigation transferred to the CBI?
The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from Mohali police to the CBI in October 2023, after two FIRs were registered between 2022 and 2023, according to Bar & Bench.
What property is at the centre of the dispute?
The dispute concerns approximately 32 bighas of land at Zirakpur owned by the Guru Nanak Vidhya Bhandar Trust, which is based in Daryaganj, Delhi. The accused allegedly created a fake trust with a similar name to fraudulently claim ownership of this property, as reported by Bar & Bench.
What is the LiveLaw citation for this ruling?
LiveLaw reported the ruling under citation 2026 LiveLaw (PH) 246, confirming that regular bail was denied to the practising advocate in the case titled Vikas Kumar v Central Bureau of Investigation.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws may change or vary by case — consult a qualified lawyer before acting. The Courtroom is not liable for any reliance on this content.
