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Retired Judge Gautam Patel and his family, getting threatening letters implicit his 2024 verdict connected the succession enactment successful the Dawoodi Bohra community, person been provided constabulary protection, the Maharashtra authorities connected Monday told the Bombay High Court.
Public authoritative Shishir Hiray, appearing for the government, informed a seat of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad that 2 constabulary officers volition beryllium contiguous with Justice Patel and his wife, based successful Mumbai, astatine each hours.
A lawsuit has besides been lodged with the Gamdevi constabulary present by the retired Bombay HC justice implicit the threats and an probe was underway, helium said.
The tribunal noted that this was a superior contented and said it wants the Mumbai Police Commissioner to personally supervise the lawsuit and taxable a presumption study connected July 2.
"A justice who has done his work and demitted bureau is facing this [threats]. The Union and the authorities governments request to enactment swiftly. His [Patel] extortion is astir important. You request to beryllium however committed you are," the tribunal said.
The seat said some Justice Patel, his woman and besides daughter, who are successful Mumbai, should beryllium adequately protected.
It directed the Union authorities to taxable what steps it has taken connected the incidental erstwhile Justice Patel's girl was physically assaulted successful April this twelvemonth successful London.
The Centre shall besides taxable the steps taken by the constabulary determination successful London successful its probe successful the case, the seat said.
"With respect to the lawsuit lodged present successful Mumbai, we petition the commissioner of constabulary to personally supervise the probe and taxable a presumption study connected July 2," the tribunal ordered.
The seat was proceeding a nationalist involvement litigation (PIL) filed by 3 lawyers associations seeking judicial involution successful the issue.
Senior counsel Nitin Thakker, appearing for the petitioners, insisted a beardown connection needs to beryllium sent retired that specified threats would not beryllium tolerated by the judiciary.
The plea urged the HC to nonstop authorities acrophobic to assistance extortion to Justice Patel and his household successful airy of the threats.
The PIL sought the HC to acceptable up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a retired Supreme Court oregon High Court Judge and/or nonstop the CBI oregon the Maharashtra authorities to thoroughly analyse the attacks and threats.
Meanwhile connected Sunday (June 14, 2026), the Mumbai constabulary lodged a lawsuit against chartless individuals connected charges of transgression intimidation aft Justice Patel submitted a complaint.
Justice Patel and his household claimed to person received aggregate anonymous menace letters implicit the past 10 months, and the harassment escalated connected June 5 erstwhile a highly threatening missive bearing a German postal people was delivered to the London residence of his daughter.
The missive warned of a menace to their beingness and claimed that a "contract" had been issued against the family. It included a integer retention device, which has present been handed implicit to the London police.
The perpetrators demanded the ex-judge station a video connected YouTube, apologising for his judgement and retracting the verdict regarding the succession and rubric of Syedna, the spiritual person of the million-strong Dawoodi Bohra community, claiming it was delivered nether "duress and coercion".
Similar menace letters were sent to Justice Patel's residence successful Mumbai and were received by his wife.
The PIL filed successful the HC noted specified attacks and threats are a nonstop battle connected the judiciary's independency and whitethorn besides beryllium aimed arsenic a menace to the judges proceeding the entreaty against the 2024 ruling connected the succession row, thereby interfering with the medication of justice.
The information and information of judicial officers is paramount to guarantee that they discharge their law work without fearfulness oregon favour, it argued.
The petition, filed by the Bombay Bar Association, the Advocates Association of Western India and the Bombay Incorporated Law Society, sought capable information screen to beryllium provided to Justice Patel and his household successful India.
On April 24, 2024, a azygous seat of Justice Patel upheld the presumption of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin arsenic the 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq (leader) of the Dawoodi Bohra assemblage portion noting that helium had valid 'nass' (appointment).
Justice Patel had dismissed a suit filed successful 2014 initially by Khuzaima Qutbuddin soon aft his member and then-Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd Dai, passed distant successful January 2014 astatine the property of 102. Burhanuddin's 2nd son, Mufaddal Saifuddin, past took implicit arsenic the 53rd Syedna.
Qutbuddin had, successful his suit, claimed his member Burhanuddin appointed him arsenic the “mazoon” (second successful command) and privately anointed him arsenic his successor done a concealed “nass” (conferment of succession).
In 2016, aft Qutbuddin passed away, his lad Taher Fakhruddin took implicit the suit, claiming his begetter had conferred the powers connected him.
In the ruling, Justice Patel had noted that the plaintiffs had failed to taxable immoderate impervious to amusement that Qutbuddin was conferred 'nass' by the 52nd Dai.
Justice Patel retired connected April 25, 2024.
The succession verdict was aboriginal challenged by the plaintiffs earlier a part seat of the HC wherever the substance is presently pending.
