Madhya Pradesh Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan has endured online abuse and threats since June 12 after sentencing cow vigilantes to life imprisonment for the 2022 lynching of truck driver Sheikh Lala Nazir Ahmed. Meanwhile a suo motu Supreme Court case addressing protection for judges from pressure and violence has stalled.
The case began after Additional District and Sessions Judge Uttam Anand from Dhanbad, Jharkhand, was killed by a vehicle during a morning jog in 2021, shortly after denying bail to gangsters. The incident prompted nationwide concern and led then Chief Justice N.V. Ramana to summon the Attorney General to discuss rising threats against the judiciary.
Justice Ramana noted the lack of freedom for judges and the mental and physical impact of threats and online harassment. The Supreme Court later transferred the investigation into Anand’s death to the CBI and highlighted the need for a secure environment for judicial officers.
The suo motu matter, In re: Safeguarding Courts and Protecting Judges, was linked to an earlier petition seeking better security for court premises. Both cases were last listed on March 21, 2025.
The Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association condemned the threats against Judge Khan, stating judicial orders must be challenged in appellate courts rather than through intimidation. It affirmed the district judiciary’s role and referenced a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that independence of the district judiciary forms part of the Constitution’s basic structure.
A 1991 Supreme Court judgment held that interference with judicial duties through attacks on officers amounts to criminal contempt.
