Threats against a judicial officer directly undermine judicial independence, said the Madhya Pradesh High Court; personal affidavits sought from the DGP and the Home Department on steps taken
NEW DELHI — The Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of communal threats and online abuse directed at Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan following her verdict sentencing 14 cow vigilantes to life imprisonment for lynching a Muslim truck driver over allegations of cattle smuggling.
A Division Bench of Justice Vivek Agarwal and Justice Avanindra Kumar Singh, earlier this week (July 1), also ordered that the judge be provided immediate police protection.
The order comes amid a sustained campaign targeting Judge Khan after she convicted the 14 men for the 2022 lynching of truck driver Nazir Ahmed in Barakhar village. Ahmed was beaten to death while transporting cattle from Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra. The court held that the accused had formed an unlawful assembly with the common intention of attacking the victim.
Following the verdict, groups identifying as cow protection organisations reportedly staged protests, burned effigies of the judge, and circulated social media posts targeting her religious identity. In one viral video, a man allegedly used abusive language against Judge Khan and threatened large-scale anti-Muslim violence across the state if the convicted men were not released within 10 days.
Calling the matter serious, the High Court said such actions posed a direct threat to the independence of the judiciary. “We are of the opinion that such activities directly hamper the judicial independence and fearless working of our judicial officers,” the bench observed.
The court stressed that judicial decisions can only be challenged through legal remedies such as appeals or revision petitions. “A judge cannot be threatened merely because an order is not to the liking of a section of society,” the bench said.
As an interim measure, the High Court directed that the police protection already provided to Judge Khan by the Superintendent of Police, Narmadapuram, should continue. It also ordered the SP to file an affidavit detailing the action taken against those responsible for issuing threats.
During the hearing, Deputy Advocate General Abhijeet Awasthy informed the court that an FIR had already been registered. Police in Seoni Malwa had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of the social media posts and launched an investigation to identify those behind the threatening videos.
The High Court further directed the Additional Advocate General to submit personal affidavits from the Director General of Police and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), detailing measures taken against the accused and steps adopted to protect judicial officers.
The case has drawn attention to concerns over the safety of judges handling sensitive criminal matters and the impact of online intimidation on judicial independence.
The next hearing is scheduled for July 9.
