Madhya Pradesh Judge Faces Communal Backlash After Lynching Verdict

Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan of Narmadapuram district sentenced seven people to life imprisonment in a 2022 lynching case involving truck driver Sheikh Lala Nazim Ahmed, who was beaten to death on suspicion of cow smuggling.

On the day of the verdict, the convicts’ families staged protests and allegedly attempted to block the police vehicle carrying the convicts to jail.

Judge Targeted After Life Imprisonment Verdict

Soon after the judgment, several online videos and posts emerged targeting the judge based on her religious identity. Following a coordinated communal online campaign against Judge Tabassum Khan, Madhya Pradesh Police registered an FIR under Sections 302 and 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unknown individuals.

Threats and Communal Slurs Against the Judge

A widely circulated video on X, the source of which remains unverified, shows a person named Vishal Singh from Gujarat allegedly issuing threats and using communal slurs against the judge, demanding the release of the convicted individuals within 10 days.

In another video, several people reportedly from Mohali, Punjab are seen burning an effigy of the judge and demanding the release of the convicts.

Another video shows a procession of people identifying themselves as cow protectors demanding the release of the convicted individuals. The user sharing the video accused the judge of delivering verdicts based on religion and demanded her removal, claiming that cow protection is not a crime.

Political Leaders Condemn Online Abuse

Several lawyers and prominent individuals practicing in the Seoni Malwa region condemned the lack of effective action against the online harassment of the judicial officer.

Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader Pawan Khera responded to one of the videos targeting the judge, stating that the convicts were found guilty based on evidence of rioting and attempted murder. He further said the anger was being directed at the judge because she is a Muslim woman.

Senior advocate Vivek Tankha also condemned the attacks on the judge, stating that it is time for the legal community and citizens to support judges who uphold the rule of law, especially at the lower levels of the judiciary. He further noted that the silence of higher judiciary and the government on the issue is concerning.

The 2022 Lynching Case

The case dates back to the intervening night of August 2–3, 2022, when the victim was transporting cattle from Naradwara to Maharashtra. He was stopped near Barakhand village in Seoni Malwa, where a mob attacked the vehicle with sticks and wooden rods. In the assault, Nazim Ahmed died, while his associate Sheikh Mushtaq was injured.