Bombay HC Retired Judge Gautam Patel Alleges Threats Linked to Dawoodi Bohra Succession Case

Retired Bombay High Court judge Gautam Patel has claimed that he and his family have been receiving threats for nearly 10 months. These incidents are reportedly linked to his August 2024 judgment in the Dawoodi Bohra community's succession dispute. Justice Patel had declared Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as the community's 53rd Dai-al-Mutlaq, rejecting claims by Khuzaima Qutbuddin and later his son Taher Fakhruddin.

Following the verdict, Justice Patel and his family began receiving threatening messages. In September 2025, a letter demanded that he publicly retract his decision via a video and declare he was coerced into making the judgment. On April 22, 2026, his daughter Aditi Patel was attacked in London while returning from dropping her child at school. The assailant broke her nasal bone. UK police are investigating the attack and its connection to prior threats.

On June 5, Aditi Patel received another anonymous letter warning that if Justice Patel did not retract his April 2024 decision via a YouTube video, the family would face dire consequences. The letter included an SD card and mentioned that a gang had been hired for this purpose. Following these events, Aditi Patel and her husband filed complaints with UK police, and the West Hertfordshire Counter Terrorism Unit is reviewing the April 22 attack.

Justice Patel stated that he has informed the Indian High Commission in London, the Bombay High Court's acting Chief Justice, and India's Chief Justice Suryakant about the matter. He emphasized that as a retired judge since April 2024, he cannot overturn a High Court decision via video. He also noted that while Indian authorities have been supportive, their jurisdiction is limited to India.