In an unprecedented move highlighting the global dangers faced by Indian judicial officers, the Bombay High Court has issued a mandatory directive commanding the Maharashtra home department to provide comprehensive, round-the-clock armed protection for retired Justice Gautam Patel. The emergency intervention by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad follows a terrifying ten-month campaign of international intimidation directed at the judge’s immediate family, stemming from his high-profile 2024 verdict regarding a complex succession battle within the Dawoodi Bohra community.
The courtroom drama intensified as Chief Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray confirmed that while two personal security officers had already been stationed at the retired judge’s private residence in Mumbai, the threat level required a dynamic shield. The Acting Chief Justice noted that judicial families do not live inside a vacuum, highlighting that protection must follow family members whenever they step out into public spaces.
The security crisis reached a boiling point following revelations that the judge’s daughter, Aditi Patel, was physically ambushed by a masked individual on a street in London, while his wife received graphic, untraceable threat letters at their Mumbai home. The international gravity of the situation forced the direct intervention of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during an official diplomatic visit to the United Kingdom, where he coordinated directly with the Indian High Commissioner to secure emergency coverage from the Hertfordshire Constabulary for the judge’s overseas relatives. Senior Advocate Nitin Thakkar, representing several united bar associations, told the bench that this was an organized attempt to terrorize the institutional spine of the judiciary. Meanwhile, representatives for the opposing faction in the succession dispute issued public statements strongly condemning the threats, claiming the incidents might be a conspiracy designed to malign their pending legal appeal. The high court has demanded a full status update from both state and federal agencies regarding the root source of these international threats.
