MP Judge Tabassum Khan Faces Threats After Sentencing 14 in Cow Vigilante Lynching Case

New Delhi- The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) has unequivocally condemned the threats and targeted social media campaign against Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district, following her landmark judgment convicting and sentencing 14 men to life imprisonment in a 2022 mob lynching case.

In a strongly worded statement , SCAORA’s Honorary Secretary, Yugandhara Pawar Jha, asserted that judicial orders must be challenged through proper legal channels in appellate courts, and not via intimidation, vilification, or personal threats against judges. “Such conduct strikes at the very foundation of judicial independence and the rule of law,” the statement read.

The Judgment That Sparked the Backlash

On June 12, Judge Tabassum Khan delivered judgments in the case related to the brutal mob lynching of truck driver Sheikh Lala Nazir Ahmed (also referred to as Nazeer Ahmed or Najir Ahmed) in August 2022 in Seoni Malwa tehsil’s Barakhar village, Narmadapuram district. The court convicted 14 men (in two separate but related judgments) for the lynching, which occurred over suspicions of cattle smuggling. Seven or more of the accused received life imprisonment sentences.

The court relied on witness statements, medical records, forensic evidence, and dying declarations to establish the incident as a clear case of mob lynching driven by communal vigilantism. The verdict was widely seen as a strong stand against “cow vigilantism” and mob violence.

The full statement by SCAORA emphasized the critical role of the district judiciary:

“The district judiciary forms the backbone of our justice delivery system, with judicial officers routinely called upon to decide difficult and sensitive matters. It is important that members of the district judiciary have the reassurance that they will be able to discharge their judicial functions without fear or intimidation, and that the institutional framework remains committed to protecting their independence.”

The Association expressed solidarity with Judge Khan and urged authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure her safety and uphold the dignity of judicial officers.

Legal experts and observers have highlighted concerns over attempts to communalise judicial verdicts and intimidate judges, warning that such tactics could undermine public confidence in the judiciary, particularly at the district level where most cases are adjudicated.

This incident has drawn widespread attention to the need for robust protection of judicial officers facing backlash for delivering verdicts in sensitive cases involving caste, communal, or vigilante violence.