In an unprecedented court-related event, the daughter of retired high court judge Gautam Patel was physically assaulted on a London street, in response to a judgment passed by him in 2024. The case, which is currently under appeal, sought to establish succession and name the next head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, called Syedna.
Threats and Assault
Over the last 10 months, the Patel family has received several anonymous threat letters, including a 2025 letter which, Patel said, “accused me of having delivered my judgment fraudulently, under pressure.” The letter asked Patel to make and release a video on YouTube to state he had “delivered an incorrect and fraudulent verdict… which has caused irreparable harm to the faith and future of a respected community of a million plus members”.
Speaking from London on Monday, Patel said, “Clearly, this is a clever attempt to leverage the jurisdictional gap between Mumbai and London. There has been no attack on me in Mumbai, for that would result in immediate local action.” He added, “Instead, the attack is directed against my daughter, a British citizen, on British soil. The connection to me and the judgment remains, but the actual attack -- and therefore the actual investigation -- gets localized to the UK.”
According to Patel, his daughter was “violently assaulted near her home while carrying out her most ordinary daily task — dropping her children to school”. A masked and hooded man attacked her from behind, punching her repeatedly in the face. She sustained a fractured nose and other injuries, the former judge stated. “I have not the slightest intention of succumbing to this blackmail or meeting these absurd demands,” Justice Patel had told Mumbai police last September.
Condemnation from Both Sides
Both sides to the succession dispute which had been heard by Justice Patel strongly condemned the attacks and threats alleged to have been made. A statement from the office of the current Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin said, “We are deeply shocked and distressed by recent reports of violence, threats and intimidation directed at the Justice (Retd) Gautam Patel and his family. We unequivocally and in the strongest possible terms condemn these acts and all forms of violence, threats and intimidation. Such actions are entirely contrary to our beliefs and the values—rooted in tenets of peace, tolerance and unwavering rule of law -- we uphold as a community. Any attempts to intimidate the judiciary in any form are completely unacceptable.”
Dr Aziz Qutbuddin, brother of Taher Fakhruddin, son of the original contestant in the succession case, said, “Syedna Fakhruddin Saheb unequivocally condemns any such threats and violence. If the information is accurate then these acts are clearly meant to malign us and attempt to derail the appeal.” The Bombay Bar Association on Monday condemned the threats and attacks that had been reported.
Background of the Case
On April 23, 2024, the Bombay HC high court had closed the Syedna successor question. Justice Patel had dismissed a suit filed in 2014 by Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin to be declared the 53rd Dai (formal designation given to spiritual leader of the Bohra community) based on a private nass of 1965 as the spiritual leader. The HC held that the nass conferred by the 52nd Dai Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin on his son Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin was valid.
