Jammu: A criminal defamation case filed by J&K Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul against Advocate Ranjodh Singh snowballed into a major legal controversy on Saturday, with the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Jammu, staging a protest and abstaining from court work over an alleged attempt by a Srinagar Police team to arrest the advocate from court premises.
The protest followed an attempt by a police team from Srinagar to execute an arrest warrant issued against Ranjodh Singh in connection with a criminal defamation case arising out of allegations he had made regarding recruitment under the sports quota in the J&K Sports Council. According to advocates, the police team reached the District Court Complex, Jammu, to arrest Singh, but withdrew after members of the Bar Association gathered in opposition.
In response, the J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu, boycotted court work on Saturday and held a protest demonstration at the District Court Complex. Hundred of advocates, led by Bar Association President Nirmal Kotwal, participated in the protest.
Addressing the gathering, Kotwal strongly condemned the police action, alleging that an advocate was sought to be arrested while discharging his professional duties in court. He questioned the registration of the FIR in Srinagar, arguing that the alleged cause of action arose in Jammu, and demanded the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. He also warned that any similar action in the future could provoke a stronger response from the legal fraternity. Protesters raised slogans against the police before concluding the demonstration peacefully.
Police, however, maintained that the action was carried out strictly in compliance with a judicial order. According to officials, the Court of the Special Mobile Magistrate (PT&E), Srinagar, issued an arrest warrant on July 2, 2026, against Advocate Ranjodh Singh in connection with FIR No. 33/2026 registered at Police Station Shergari under Sections 351(4), 356 and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police sources further stated that an earlier attempt to execute the warrant on July 3 at the main gate of the High Court, Jammu, was also resisted by members of the Bar Association, preventing the arrest.
The criminal defamation case stems from a complaint filed by Nuzhat Gul, Secretary of the J&K Sports Council, alleging that Advocate Ranjodh Singh made false and defamatory allegations concerning the recruitment and selection process under the sports quota. The incident has sparked a wider debate over the execution of arrest warrants within court premises and the balance between enforcing judicial orders and preserving the independence and dignity of the legal profession.
