Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 10: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has intervened in the matter of alleged threats and intimidation directed at former Bombay High Court judge Justice Gautam Patel and his family, raising the issue with India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom during his ongoing visit there.
The intervention comes after Justice Patel revealed that a threatening letter had been delivered to his daughter's residence in London, allegedly in connection with a judgment he delivered in 2024 concerning the Dawoodi Bohra succession dispute.
According to reports, CJI Surya Kant discussed the matter with Indian High Commissioner to the UK P Kumaran and was assured that adequate security measures had been put in place.
"I had a discussion with the high commissioner, who assured that no harm would come to him or his family and that the London police have made adequate security arrangements," the CJI was quoted as saying.
Justice Patel said the latest threat letter was linked to his ruling in a case concerning the succession and identity of the Syedna, the spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community. The matter is currently under appeal.
The retired judge disclosed that his family had received several anonymous letters over the past 10 months. One communication allegedly accused him of delivering the judgment fraudulently and under pressure.
According to Justice Patel, the letter demanded that he upload a video on YouTube declaring that he had delivered an incorrect verdict that had caused harm to the community.
He also alleged that those behind the threats were attempting to exploit jurisdictional boundaries by targeting his daughter in the United Kingdom.
"This is a clever attempt to leverage the jurisdictional gap between Mumbai and London. There has been no attack on me in Mumbai, for that would result in immediate local action. Instead, the attack is directed against my daughter, a British citizen, on British soil," Justice Patel said.
Reports said the Indian High Commissioner informed the CJI that the threats appeared to have originated in India, as they were linked to litigation arising from Maharashtra.
Following the discussion, CJI Surya Kant said he had contacted the acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and urged appropriate action.
"I have sent a message to the acting chief justice of Bombay High Court to take appropriate steps on the judicial and administrative side as the litigation pertained to local parties," he said.
The Chief Justice is expected to return to India on June 12.
Meanwhile, the Bar Association of India strongly condemned the alleged threats and intimidation against Justice Patel and his family, describing them as a serious attack on judicial independence and the rule of law.
The association referred to reports of anonymous threats, demands that the former judge publicly retract his verdict, an alleged break-in at a family residence, an assault on his daughter in London and a fresh written threat received on June 5.
"The demand that a judge disown a verdict by video, under coercion, is an attempt to substitute intimidation for adjudication," the association said in a statement.
The body noted that judicial decisions can only be challenged through established legal procedures and pointed out that Justice Patel's 2024 ruling is already under challenge before a division bench of the Bombay High Court.
It also called on authorities in India and the United Kingdom to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure the safety of the former judge's family.
In April 2024, Justice Patel upheld the position of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as the 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community, ruling that his appointment was valid.