Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan of Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh, has reportedly received abusive messages and threats on social media after sentencing 14 men to life imprisonment in the 2022 lynching of a Muslim man by a group of self-styled cow vigilantes.
Police have registered a first information report (FIR) against unidentified persons over the online threats that emerged after the June 12 verdict, according to media reports.
The court convicted all 14 accused under Sections 148, 307 read with 149, and 302 read with 149 of the Indian Penal Code for the lynching of Nazeer Ahmed and the assault of two other men who were attacked on suspicion of cow smuggling.
According to prosecutors, complainant Sheikh Lala was transporting a truck carrying animals, including cows, to Maharashtra when a group of men allegedly intercepted the vehicle and assaulted Lala, Nazeer Ahmed and Sheikh Mushtaq with sticks and iron rods.
Ahmed died from his injuries, while Lala and Mushtaq were seriously injured.
In her judgment, Khan said the prosecution had established that the attack constituted lynching. The court found that the accused had formed an unlawful assembly and acted with a common objective to assault the victims.
The judge ruled that it was unnecessary to establish the specific role of each accused once their participation in the unlawful assembly had been proved.
Although the two surviving victims, Lala and Mushtaq, turned hostile during the trial, the court relied on earlier identification proceedings conducted before an executive magistrate, along with the recovery of sticks, iron rods and bloodstained clothing from the accused.
The court also rejected the defense’s argument that alleged shortcomings in the investigation into the transportation of animals undermined the prosecution’s murder case.
Describing the offense as grave, the court ruled that it did not fall within the “rarest of rare” category warranting the death penalty, saying the possibility of reform could not be ruled out. All 14 defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The court also directed the Legal Services Authority to provide compensation to Ahmed’s family.
Following the verdict, abusive and threatening posts targeting Khan began circulating on social media.
One widely shared video, allegedly posted by Vishal Singh of Surat, Gujarat, threatened large-scale violence against Muslims while demanding the release of the convicted men.
The video drew widespread condemnation and prompted calls for immediate legal action.
Lawyers, activists and civil society groups called for strict action against those issuing threats and urged authorities to provide adequate security for Khan.
Congress leader Pawan Khera defended the verdict, saying the men were convicted “not because of their religion” but because investigators found them guilty of rioting, attempted murder and murder.
The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association also condemned the threats, saying judicial decisions should be challenged through the appellate process rather than intimidation, abuse or threats. In a statement of solidarity, the association called for all necessary measures to ensure Khan’s safety and to safeguard the independence of the lower judiciary.
Police have filed an FIR, but no arrests have been announced despite the threats being made publicly in a video. As of Thursday, neither the higher judiciary nor the Supreme Court had publicly stated whether they had taken cognizance of the threats or planned any further action.
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