Bombay Bar Association condemns threats to Justice Gautam Patel’s family in UK, seeks MEA intervention

The BBA resolution reads, “The Association records its strongest condemnation of any attempt to threaten, intimidate, harass, assault or otherwise target a Judge or members of a Judge’s family on account of the discharge of judicial functions. Reports that a member of Justice Patel’s family suffered physical injury in the course of one of these incidents render the matter particularly disturbing and warrant the most serious attention of the authorities.”

“Violence or threats of violence against judges or their families strike at the very heart of judicial independence and constitute a blatant assault on the rule of law. Such conduct is not merely an attack upon an individual Judge; it is an attack upon the institution of the judiciary and the constitutional promise that disputes will be resolved by courts free from fear, favour, affection or ill-will,” it added.

The BBA sought a prompt, thorough and effective probe into the matter. It stated that “in a constitutional democracy government by rule of law, judicial decisions may be questioned, criticised and challenged only through lawful means”.

“Resort to threats, intimidation, coercion or violence against judges or their families has no place in a civilised society and cannot be tolerated,” it added.

The Dawoodi Bohra verdict and threats

On April 23, 2024, two days before his retirement, Justice Patel dismissed a suit challenging Syedna Muffadal Saifuddin’s position as the spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community by his nephew Syedna Taher Fakhruddin.

Delivering the verdict, Justice Patel said he had kept the judgment “as neutral as possible for personalities involved”, noting that “feelings will run high”, and had decided the dispute “on proof and not faith”.

The Dawoodi Bohras are a Shia Muslim denomination, traditionally a community of traders and entrepreneurs, with its top religious leader known as the Dai-al-Mutlaq, with lakhs of followers in India and several countries abroad.

Earlier this month, Justice Patel’s daughter received an anonymous threat letter, and in April, she was reportedly assaulted in London by a masked man and suffered an injury.

Patel and his daughter said there was an attempted home invasion at their house in a London suburb in August 2025. They also cited another threatening letter from September, which called his judgment in the Dawoodi Bohra case “false” and “corrupt”

The retired judge then wrote to the Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to apprise them of the matter.