Retd judge’s kin attacked in UK, family gets threat letters

Mumbai: In what could be an unprecedented court-related event,a death threat was allegedly delivered on June 5 to the London home of the daughter of a former Bombay high court judge Gautam Patel mere weeks after she was physically assaulted on a London street. Speaking from London on Monday, Justice Patel said the threat letter was in response to a judgment passed by him in 2024. The case, which is pending appeal, sought to establish the succession and name of the Syedna, spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community.

Over 10 months, the Patel family has received several anonymous threat letters, including a 2025 letter which, Patel said, “accused me of having delivered my judgment fraudulently, under pressure.” The letter asked Patel to make and release a video on YouTube to state he had “delivered an incorrect and fraudulent verdict… which has caused irreparable harm to the faith and future of a respected community of a million plus members”.

Patel said, “This is a clever attempt to leverage the jurisdictional gap between Mumbai and London. There has been no attack on me in Mumbai, for that would result in immediate local action.” He added, “Instead, the attack is directed against my daughter, a British citizen, on British soil. The connection to me and the judgment remains, but the actual attack -- and therefore actual investigation -- gets localized to the UK.”

According to Patel, his daughter was “ assaulted near her home while carrying out her most ordinary daily task — dropping her children to school”. A masked and hooded man attacked her from behind, punching her repeatedly in the face. She sustained a fractured nose and other injuries, the ex-judge stated. “I have not the slightest intention of succumbing to this blackmail or meeting these absurd demands,” Justice Patel had told Mumbai police last Sept.

Both sides to the succession dispute condemned the reported attacks and threats. A statement from the office of the current Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin said, “We are deeply shocked and distressed by reports of violence, threats and intimidation directed at Justice Patel and his family. We unequivocally condemn these acts and all forms of violence, threats and intimidation. Such actions are contrary to our beliefs and values.”

Dr Aziz Qutbuddin, brother of Taher Fakhruddin, son of the original contestant in the succession case, said, “Syedna Fakhruddin Saheb unequivocally condemns any such threats and violence. If the information is accurate then these acts are clearly meant to malign us and attempt to derail the appeal.” The Bombay Bar Association on Monday condemned the reported threats and attacks.

On April 23, 2024, HC had closed the Syedna successor question. Justice Patel had dismissed a suit filed in 2014 by Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin to be declared the 53rd Dai (formal designation given to spiritual leader of the Bohra community) based on a private nass of 1965 as the spiritual leader. HC held that the nass conferred by the 52nd Dai Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin on his son Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin was valid.