Lynching Legal Storm: HC Steps In After MP Judge Tabassum Khan Gets Death Threats For Convicting Cow Vigilantes

Published 3 July 2026 · india

Lynching Legal Storm: HC Steps In After MP Judge Tabassum Khan Gets Death Threats For Convicting Cow Vigilantes Written By, Last Updated: July 03, 2026

Lynching Legal Storm: HC Steps In After MP Judge Tabassum Khan Gets Death Threats For Convicting Cow Vigilantes Written By, Last Updated: July 03, 2026, 19:51 IST Judge Khan convicted and sentenced multiple individuals to life imprisonment for the 2022 lynching of truck driver Sheikh Lala Nazir Ahmed over suspicion of cow smuggling Following the ruling, a targeted social media campaign erupted, focusing heavily on the judge’s religious identity rather than the legal merits of the case. Image/X The Madhya Pradesh High Court has intervened to protect Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan, who has become the target of a vicious online hate campaign and communal threats following a high-profile verdict. Presiding over a case in Narmadapuram district, Judge Khan convicted and sentenced multiple individuals to life imprisonment on June 12, 2026, for the brutal 2022 lynching of a truck driver, Sheikh Lala Nazir Ahmed, who was attacked on suspicion of cow smuggling.

Following the ruling, a targeted social media campaign erupted, focusing heavily on the judge’s religious identity rather than the legal merits of the case. The backlash escalated rapidly from online abuse to direct intimidation, with viral videos featuring communal slurs, death threats, and demonstrations where effigies of the judicial officer were burnt. High Court Takes Cognisance Taking suo motu cognisance of the situation during a broader hearing on the security of judicial officers, a division bench comprising Justice Vivek Agarwal and Justice Avanindra Kumar Singh described the development as exceptionally grave. The bench observed that such hostile activities directly hamper the independence of the judiciary and prevent officers from working fearlessly. Emphasising that judicial orders can only be legally challenged or scrutinised through appropriate appellate and revisional forums, the High Court reasserted that a judge cannot be subjected to threats simply because a decision does not align with the preferences of a specific section of society.

As an immediate interim measure, the court ordered the Superintendent of Police to extend comprehensive security cover to Judge Khan. Accountability and Legal Backlash The High Court has taken a stringent view of the state administration’s response, directing the Additional Advocate General to ensure that both the Director General of Police and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) file personal affidavits. These top officials must detail the exact steps being taken to identify, track, and prosecute the individuals responsible for orchestrating the intimidation campaign. The local police have already registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified individuals under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, deploying specialised cyber units to trace the origin of the threatening posts. Meanwhile, national legal bodies, including the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association, have released statements of solidarity, warning that allowing the intimidation of district judges threatens the foundational backbone of the Indian justice delivery system.