The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered continued police protection for Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan after she received communal threats and online abuse following her judgment sentencing 14 men to life imprisonment in a 2022 lynching case.
A division bench of Justices Vivek Agarwal and Avanindra Kumar Singh took suo motu cognisance of media reports while hearing an ongoing matter related to the security of judicial officers. The court sought details from senior police and government officials on the steps taken to ensure the judge’s safety.
Judge Khan had, on June 12, convicted 14 men for the lynching of truck driver Sheikh Lala Nazir Ahmed, who was beaten to death in Barakhar village 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.
After the verdict, groups identifying themselves 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 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 also 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. The court also ordered the Superintendent of Police to file an affidavit explaining 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 the measures being taken against the accused and the 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 the independence of the judiciary.
