Justice GS Patel alleges threats for 10 months; daughter attacked in London and fresh letter demanded video retracting 2024 ruling

Retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Gautam S. Patel has told reporters he and close family members have faced sustained threats over the past 10 months that he links to a 2024 judgment in the Dawoodi Bohra succession dispute. The claims include an attack on his daughter in London in April and a new anonymous letter that demanded he withdraw his verdict in a public video, according to the retired judge and media reports.

Immediate allegation

Justice Patel, who retired in April 2024, said the threats began after he delivered a contested judgment on April 23, 2024, that recognised Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as the 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community. Initial reports in Bar & Bench and The Indian Express said the ruling resolved a long-standing dispute involving claims by Khuzaima Qutbuddin and later his son Taher Fakhruddin.

Attack in London

According to the retired judge, his daughter Aditi Patel was assaulted in Watford, near London, on April 22, 2026 — two months ago. She was returning from dropping her child at school when an unidentified man allegedly struck her from behind, fracturing her nose. UK police opened an investigation and are examining possible links between the assault and prior threats to the family. The West Hertfordshire Counter Terrorism Unit is reported to be reviewing the incident.

Fresh letter and extortion demand

Justice Patel said he received another anonymous letter on June 5 that demanded he withdraw the April 2024 judgment by recording a YouTube video declaring the verdict wrong and saying he had been forced to deliver it. The letter included an SD card and warned of deadly consequences if the demand was not met, he told media. He said a similar warning had prompted a complaint to Mumbai police last year; a police report dated September 9, 2025, was filed at Gamdevi station after an earlier threatening letter.

Official channels informed

The retired judge said he has notified the Indian High Commission in London, the Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and Surya Kant (a senior judge) about the threats. “I have been retired since April 2024. A Bombay High Court judgment cannot be set aside through a YouTube video,” Justice Patel told reporters, stressing that judicial orders cannot be reversed by extrajudicial pressure.

Local authorities and response

Sources familiar with the matter said UK police are coordinating enquiries with Indian officials, given the cross-border elements. Justice Patel’s daughter and son-in-law lodged a formal complaint with local police in the UK after the April attack, according to the retired judge.

The Bombay Bar Association passed a resolution condemning the threats and the attack on Justice Patel’s family and urged the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the matter with British authorities. “We call for immediate steps to ensure the safety of the judge and his relatives,” the association said in its resolution, a copy of which was shared with news outlets.

Community reaction

The office of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin issued a statement saying the Dawoodi Bohra community stands for peace, tolerance and respect for the rule of law, and does not endorse any attempt to influence the judiciary or resort to intimidation. No other individuals or groups have publicly claimed responsibility for the threats.

Context and implications

The succession dispute generated high-profile litigation and community tensions after competing claims surfaced following the death of the previous Dai. Justice Patel’s 2024 ruling settled the legal question in favour of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, but, as the recent events underscore, the matter continues to have social and personal repercussions for those involved.

What happens next

Investigations are ongoing in the UK into the assault and in Mumbai regarding the letters. Justice Patel has said he expects both British and Indian law-enforcement agencies to follow up and warned that any failure to pursue leads across jurisdictions could amount to “systemic failure.” Officials contacted by this paper declined immediate comment; UK police referred queries to the ongoing investigation.