Retired Bombay High Court judge GS Patel and his family members have allegedly been subjected to a major campaign of threats and violence in India as well as the United Kingdom due to his 2024 verdict in the matter related to the Dawoodi Bohra community’s leadership.
Apart from getting threat letters, Justice Patel’s daughter was accosted and attacked in London on April 22 by a masked man. She sustained a fractured nose in the incident, Hindustan Times reported.
According to Bar and Bench, Justice Patel had on April 23, 2024 stated that Mufaddal Saifuddin, the 53rd Dai as well as the incumbent leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, is the rightful leader of the community. The court had dismissed a suit filed by the challenger to the leadership, Taher Fakhruddin. It was noted that the challenger was not able to prove his appointment as the Syedna (community leader). Notably, the verdict is currently being challenge before a division bench of the High Court.
As per the HT report, Justice Patel’s family has received multiple threats over the past 10 months, with the most recent incident being reported on June 5.
His daughter is said to have received an anonymous letter in London warning of escalating violence and claiming that the accused had issued a ‘contract’ against the family. They have demanded that Justice (retd) Patel should recant his judgment in a YouTube video.
“You were given ample warning. The gang has been paid. The next step involves cremation of you and your family. You can cancel the contract by doing what you were told in the last letter. Attached is a chip that shows what happens because you chose not to comply,” read the letter.
It bears a German postal stamp and sent from a fake address in London. It even included an SD card, which is now in the custody of Hertfordshire Police. Due to security concerns, the family decided not to access the device.
Justice Patel is said to have informed about this to the Chief Justice of India, the Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court as well as the Indian High Commission in London.
Notably, the first major threat was reported in August last year. At that time, letters were sent to both his Mumbai residence along with his daughter in London. In one of the letters, the accused claimed the responsibility for a break-in at his daughter’s home. On April 22 this year, his daughter was assaulted and left bloodied on road.
Earlier, a non-cognisable complaint was registered in Mumbai, while the counter-terrorism authorities in the UK are examining the incident.