Judge Tabassum Khan of Madhya Pradesh’s additional district and sessions court has become the target of significant online harassment and threats following her June 12 conviction of 14 men for the lynching death of Nazir Ahmad. The incident stemmed from a 2022 incident in which Ahmad, who was transporting cattle, was intercepted and brutally assaulted by a group of self-proclaimed cow protectors acting on the belief that the animals were being smuggled. Ahmad succumbed to injuries sustained during the assault, while his companions survived and testified in court.
The judicial verdict found the defendants guilty of murder, attempted murder, rioting, and wrongful restraint, with Khan explicitly characterizing the crime as mob lynching. However, the judgment has sparked a wave of religiously motivated attacks on Khan herself, with online videos featuring Hindu right-wing influencers and activists issuing death threats, rape threats, and communal slurs directed at her. Some videos warned of potential bloodshed if the convicted men were not released within specified timeframes. Multiple protest demonstrations have been organized by cow protection organizations and related groups, with some events involving effigy burning of the judge.
Critics of the attacks, including former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, have emphasized that the criticism focuses on Khan’s Muslim identity rather than her legal reasoning, representing a concerning challenge to judicial independence. Major judicial organizations including the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association have condemned the threats and called for action against those responsible. Bar association officials have stressed that judges must be able to perform their duties without fear or intimidation for democracy to function properly.
In response to the situation, authorities have registered cases under the Indian Penal Code and arrested two individuals, with police cyber cells actively monitoring social media for additional threatening content. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed senior officials to explain protective measures and has ordered continued police protection for Khan. Legal analysts have called for enhanced state protection and judicial oversight of investigations into the threats, citing comparable cases involving threatened judges.