SCAORA Condemns Threats Against MP Judge Who Sentenced 14 Men To Life In Cow Vigilante Lynching Case

In a statement issued on July 1, SCAORA said judicial orders must be challenged only through legal remedies and not by intimidation or personal attacks against judges. "The Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association unequivocally condemns the threats and targeted social media campaign against Ms. Tabassum Khan, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Madhya Pradesh, following the discharge of her judicial duties," the Association said.

It stressed that attempts to threaten judges strike at the heart of judicial independence."Judicial orders are to be challenged before appellate courts, not through intimidation, vilification or threats against judges. Such conduct strikes at the very foundation of judicial independence and the rule of law," the statement said.

SCAORA warned that if judges begin fearing personal consequences for decisions delivered in accordance with law, it would adversely affect the independence and functioning of district courts across the country.

The Association described the district judiciary as "the backbone of our justice delivery system" and said judicial officers must be able to discharge their duties "without fear or intimidation."

Expressing solidarity with Judge Khan, SCAORA called upon authorities to ensure her safety and preserve the dignity and independence of judicial officers. "The Association stands in solidarity with the learned Judge and expresses the hope that all necessary steps will be taken to ensure her safety and to uphold the independence and dignity of every judicial officer," the statement added.

The statement comes days after Judge Khan convicted all 14 accused in the August 2022 mob lynching of Nazir Ahmad, a resident of Amravati, Maharashtra.

According to the prosecution, Ahmad was travelling in a truck carrying cattle when it was intercepted near Barakhad village in Seoni Malwa, Narmadapuram district, during the intervening night of August 2 and 3, 2022. A mob allegedly assaulted the truck driver and two other occupants after suspecting them of illegally transporting cattle.

Police shifted the injured victims to hospital, where Nazir Ahmad later succumbed to his injuries. The other two victims survived.

Following a trial spanning nearly three years, the Additional District and Sessions Court at Seoni Malwa found all 14 accused guilty of murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

After the verdict, family members of the convicts gathered outside the court premises in large numbers. As police attempted to transport the convicts to jail, several relatives allegedly tried to obstruct the police vehicle, with some lying down in front of it. Emotional scenes were witnessed outside the court, with family members claiming the convicts had been engaged in gau seva and gau raksha. The sentencing also triggered a targeted campaign against Judge Khan on social media, prompting condemnation from sections of the legal fraternity.