A criminal defence chamber inside the Patiala House Courts.
Most people reach this chamber on the worst day of a bad week — after an arrest, after an FIR, after a bank account stopped working. The first few days usually matter more than anything that follows.
Start with what has happened
You do not need to know which law applies or what the matter is called. Pick the line below that sounds closest to your situation.
Anticipatory bail before arrest, regular bail after custody, proclaimed offender proceedings, and custody parole.
A bank account has been frozen.Accounts marked after a cyber crime complaint, including accounts several steps removed from the original transaction.
A POCSO FIR has been registered.Defence before the designated Special Courts in Delhi, at bail, discharge and trial stage.
There has been a seizure under the NDPS Act.Bail and trial, where the quantity category and the seizure procedure usually decide the matter.
How a matter usually proceeds
Every case is different, but the shape of the first few weeks is fairly consistent. Knowing it in advance makes the process less frightening.
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Consultation
You bring whatever papers exist — the FIR, a notice, arrest papers, a bank communication. Where nothing has been received yet, obtaining the documents is itself the first step.
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Filing
The application is drafted and filed before the court that has jurisdiction at that stage. What goes on record early is difficult to undo later, so the drafting matters.
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Hearing and after
The matter is argued, and the order is complied with or carried to the next forum. You are told what the order means in plain terms, not only what it says.
Where this chamber appears
The chamber is based at the Patiala House Courts Complex. Matters are handled across the Delhi district courts — Patiala House, Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, Saket, Dwarka, Rohini and Rouse Avenue — and before the Delhi High Court.
Matters from other states are taken up before the Supreme Court of India and before the concerned High Court or district court, either directly or in coordination with local counsel.
Other matters handled
Alongside criminal defence, the chamber handles matrimonial disputes, property matters, corporate disputes, and customs and DRI matters, including passenger matters at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
If it is urgent, call rather than write
Arrest, remand and urgent bail do not follow court hours. A phone call reaches the chamber faster than a message, and a message reaches it faster than email.