"Judges Cannot Be Threatened For Their Verdicts": Madhya Pradesh High Court

Calling the threats a direct attack on the justice delivery system, a Division Bench of Justice Vivek Agarwal and Justice Avnindra Kumar Singh observed that a judicial officer cannot be threatened merely because a section of society disagrees with a court verdict.

Bhopal:

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken an extraordinary step to protect judicial independence after a woman judge who sentenced 14 men to life imprisonment in a cow vigilante mob lynching case allegedly received death threats and communal abuse on social media, prompting the court to take suo motu cognizance of the matter.

Calling the threats a direct attack on the justice delivery system, a Division Bench of Justice Vivek Agarwal and Justice Avnindra Kumar Singh observed that a judicial officer cannot be threatened merely because a section of society disagrees with a court verdict. 

The bench said such attempts amount to pressure on the judiciary and directed the state's Director General of Police and Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to file affidavits within three days detailing the action taken.

The judge at the centre of the controversy, Additional District Judge Tabassum Khan, had on June 12 convicted 14 accused in the 2022 Seoni Malwa mob lynching case linked to alleged cattle smuggling and sentenced all of them to life imprisonment. The convicts were found guilty under various provisions relating to murder, attempt to murder, rioting and wrongful restraint.

Soon after the verdict, videos surfaced on social media in which individuals allegedly issued open threats against the judge. 

In one viral video, a man warns that if the 14 convicted men are not released within 10 days, there would be a "massacre" across the state and the country. In another video, a woman allegedly targets the judge with communal remarks, and accusing her of showing her "true colours" after sentencing the 14 "Hindu brothers" to life imprisonment. She further warns that the judge would have to "face the consequences."

Taking serious note of the viral videos, the Cyber Cell under the Ministry of Home Affairs issued notices under the Information Technology Act, while Seoni Malwa police registered an FIR against two unidentified persons and launched an investigation to identify those behind the threats.

During the High Court hearing, the state informed the bench that extensive security arrangements had been made for Judge Tabassum Khan. Narmadapuram Superintendent of Police Sai Krishna S. Thota told the court that six security personnel have been deployed at the judge's residence, a Personal Security Officer (PSO) has been assigned, and senior officers, including the SDOP, Seoni Malwa police station in-charge and the Additional SP, remain in constant contact with her.

The High Court has also sought a detailed report on the action taken against those responsible for issuing the threats. The matter will now be heard on July 9.

The case stems from the night of August 3, 2022, when a truck transporting nearly 30 cattle from Madhya Pradesh towards Amravati in Maharashtra was intercepted near Barakhad village in Seoni Malwa. According to the prosecution, a mob of nearly 50 to 60 villagers and self-styled cow vigilantes surrounded the truck and brutally assaulted the three occupants with sticks and clubs.

Nazir Ahmed died from the injuries sustained in the attack, while truck driver Sheikh Lala survived and later told investigators that the mob attacked them immediately after forcing the truck to stop, without asking any questions. 

A video of the assault later surfaced, allegedly showing members of the mob repeatedly beating the victims while shouting slogans urging others to continue the attack. 

After a trial spanning nearly three years, the Seoni Malwa court convicted all 14 accused and sentenced them to life imprisonment, a verdict that has now triggered threats not only against the judge but also raised larger concerns over the safety of judicial officers delivering sensitive judgments.

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Madhya Pradesh High Court, Judges, Cyber Cell