3 min readBhopalJul 1, 2026 04:19 AM IST
First published on: Jul 1, 2026 at 03:05 AM IST
Police have registered an FIR and enhanced the security of a sessions judge in Madhya Pradesh, who recently convicted seven men in the 2022 Seoni Malwa lynching case, after she faced a barrage of threats and abuse on social media.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan, posted in Narmadapuram district, had on June 12 sentenced seven men to life imprisonment for the lynching of truck driver Sheikh Lala Nazir Ahmed, who was beaten to death in August 2022 on suspicion of cow smuggling. In its judgment, the court held that the prosecution had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused participated in the attack and observed that they had assaulted the deceased with “extreme brutality”.
The court also treated mob lynching as a significant aggravating factor while awarding life imprisonment. It noted that the accused had formed an unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapons and had violently assaulted the victims. The attack also left another victim, Sheikh Mushtaq, injured.
Soon after the verdict, dramatic scenes unfolded outside the court complex as relatives of the convicted men attempted to stop the police vehicle from taking the convicts to jail.
Social media posts begin
In the days following the judgment, multiple videos and social media posts surfaced targeting the judge over her religious identity.
Some videos circulating online showed individuals issuing threats to the judge and setting deadlines for the release of the convicts. Others featured demonstrations demanding that the life sentences be set aside while accusing the judge of deciding the case on the basis of religion. Videos also showed effigies of the judge being burnt in some of the protests.
The campaign has drawn criticism from members of the legal fraternity and public figures, who have expressed concern over attempts to communalise a judicial verdict and target a judicial officer for discharging her duties.
Rajya Sabha member and senior Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “All the convicts are indeed Hindu men. But they were not convicted because of their religion; they were convicted because the investigation found them guilty of rioting, attempted murder and murder.”
Police case
Following complaints over the online campaign, Seoni Malwa police registered an FIR against unidentified persons under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to promoting enmity and acts prejudicial to public order.
Narmadapuram Additional Superintendent of Police Abhishek Ranjan told The Indian Express, “We have registered an FIR in this case, but the accused are yet to be identified. We are taking the help of various units to track down those behind the social media posts. We are monitoring social media activity and examining the wider perception being created. We have also heightened the security of the judge.”
The lynching case dates back to the intervening night of August 2 and 3, 2022, when Nazir Ahmed and Sheikh Mushtaq were transporting cattle from Nardarwada towards Maharashtra. According to the prosecution, their vehicle was intercepted near Barakhand village in Seoni Malwa by a mob armed with sticks and wooden rods. The victims were assaulted on suspicion of cow smuggling. Nazir Ahmed succumbed to his injuries but Mushtaq survived.
Following complaints of the online campaign, police also registered an FIR against unidentified persons. 
Share
