Muslim judge in India faces death threats after convicting 'cow vigilantes'

Muslim judge in India faces death threats after convicting ‘cow vigilantes’ On 12 June, the additional district and sessions judge of a tribunal in Madhya Pradesh, Tabassum Khan, found 14 men guilty of murder, attempt to murder, rioting and wrongful restraint. The offences stemmed from an incident in 2022 when 50‑year‑old Nazir Ahmad was transporting cattle at night and was intercepted by a group of self‑styled “gau rakshaks” (cow protectors) armed with sticks and rods. Hindus revere cows, and killing them is illegal in many Indian states. The men dragged Ahmad and his two companions from the vehicle and assaulted them on suspicion of cow smuggling. Ahmad later died of his injuries; his companions survived and testified before the court about the attack. In her judgement, Khan described the episode as a clear case of mob lynching. The verdict triggered a wave of religiously motivated hostility toward Khan, a Muslim. In the days that followed, numerous videos surfaced online in which she was abused and threatened; the clips suggested she had ruled against the men because they were Hindu. While criticism of judicial decisions is common, the attacks on Khan centred on her faith rather than her legal reasoning. The intensity of the abuse prompted prominent judicial bodies to express support for her, and she has been placed under police protection. The harassment began shortly after the sentencing, when relatives of the convicted men gathered outside the courtroom, reportedly protesting the judgement and trying to block the police convoy taking the prisoners to jail. They claimed the men were being punished for “saving cows.” Subsequently, an online campaign of abuse emerged, featuring Hindu right‑wing influencers who used communal slurs against Khan and issued rape and death threats. These videos have continued to circulate, underscoring the ongoing threats she faces.