A judge in Madhya Pradesh has come under intense communal abuse and online harassment after convicting several men in a 2022 mob lynching case. The incident has raised serious concerns about attacks on members of the judiciary and attempts to target judges based on their religious identity.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan had earlier sentenced seven men to life imprisonment for the lynching of truck driver Sheikh Lala Nazir Ahmed. The victim was attacked in 2022 after being suspected of transporting cattle for cow smuggling. His associate, Sheikh Mushtaq, was also injured in the assault.
According to Live Law, soon after the verdict, social media platforms witnessed a wave of abusive posts and videos targeting Judge Khan because of her religion. Several users questioned the judgement, while others allegedly used communal slurs and demanded that the convicted men be released.
One of the viral videos reportedly featured a man from Gujarat threatening the judge and demanding the release of the convicts within ten days. Another video allegedly showed protesters in Punjab burning an effigy of the judge while calling for the release of the convicted men. Social media posts also accused the judge of bias without presenting any legal basis for such claims.
Following these developments, the Madhya Pradesh Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified persons over the alleged communal campaign and online threats directed at the judge. The case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to promoting enmity and criminal intimidation.
The attacks have drawn criticism from legal professionals and public figures. Senior Advocate Vivek Tankha said judges who uphold the rule of law deserve protection and support, while Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera questioned why stronger action had not yet been taken against those allegedly spreading hate against the judicial officer.
The case relates to an incident that took place on the night of August 2–3, 2022, in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district. A group of villagers allegedly stopped a truck carrying cattle, assaulted the occupants with sticks and rods, and fatally injured Sheikh Lala Nazir Ahmed. The court later found the accused guilty of offences including rioting, attempt to murder, and murder, leading to their conviction and life imprisonment.
The incident has sparked a wider debate over the safety and independence of judicial officers, with many members of the legal community calling for stronger measures to protect judges from intimidation and communal targeting.
