Retired Bombay High Court Judge Alleges Threats Over Dawoodi Bohra Succession Verdict

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

Following the verdict, Justice Patel and his family began receiving threatening messages. In September 2025, a letter demanded that he retract his decision via a video and publicly declare it as incorrect. On 22 April 2026, his daughter Aditi Patel was attacked in London while returning from dropping her child at school. The assault left her with a broken nasal bone. UK police are investigating the incident and its potential links to earlier threats.

On 5 June 2026, Aditi Patel received another anonymous letter threatening the family's safety unless Justice Patel publicly withdrew his April 2024 decision. The letter included an SD card and mentioned hiring a gang for the threats. Aditi and her husband have filed a complaint with UK police, and the West Hertfordshire Counter-Terrorism Unit is reviewing the April attack.

Justice Patel has informed the Indian High Commission in London, the Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, and Chief Justice of India Suryakant about the threats. He stated, "I retired in April 2024. The Bombay High Court's decision cannot be overturned through a YouTube video." He also acknowledged jurisdictional limitations in addressing the threats internationally.