“It’s reported to the local police. September 3, 2025, a threatening letter arrives, which essentially says there’s a message for Gautam Patel, but it’s addressed to my daughter and her husband, and says you have delivered a false, corrupt judgment in the Dawoodi Bohra case, references the case specifically, and says we are a powerful guild of Dawoodi Bohras, and we have engaged a criminal syndicate. A dangerous criminal syndicate,” Patel says.
The letter warned Gautam Patel to adhere to the instructions by September end or else “harm” would befall him and his family.
“And what is demanded is that I leave the country, which means leave India for an unknown destination, make a YouTube video recanting my judgment of April 23, 2024. Now, this is happening in August 2025, a year-and-a-half after I retired,” adds Patel.
Gautam Patel was asked to give interviews to the bar association and even testify in court, calling his judgment wrong.
The letters reportedly demand recantation of the judgment, which declared Syedna Muffadal Saifuddin as the rightful claimant to the position of the Dai-al-Mutlaq or the spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community after the death of his father, Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin in 2014.
Justice Gautam Patel had decided a suit that challenged the position as the spiritual head of the community by Syedna’s half-brother, Khuzaima Qutbuddin, in the Bombay High Court.
The judge had decided a suit that challenged the position as the spiritual head of the community by Syedna’s half-brother, Khuzaima Qutbuddin, in the Bombay High Court. After Qutbuddin died in 2016 in the US, his son, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin, became the plaintiff and wanted to be declared the leader of the Dawoodi Bohras. Fakhruddin claimed his father conferred the nass or the conferment of succession upon him and thus he should be declared the Dai.
One of the letters sent to Patel alleges that he “succumbed to corruption and pressure” to deliver a “fraudulent and faulty” judgment. “You have made a mockery of justice and shattered your own legacy…. We are a powerful guild of DB community members interested in justice being served for our community.”
The letter adds, “Your cowardice has enabled the defendant to continue to employ violence, threats, and coercion tactics upon community members to fleece them for as much as he can and force them to follow reprehensible practices such as FGM, etc., and most importantly, change the true Dawoodi Bohra doctrine to suit his purposes. We will not allow this to continue.”
Aditi, who works in the education technology sector and has no ties with the legal world, says, “And they claimed responsibility for the home invasion and included video evidence (on an SD card) of their hired criminal, conducting that invasion.”
‘Fractured nose’
On April 22, at around 8.45 am, Aditi had gone to drop her child off at a nearby school. On her way back home, she was attacked from behind by a guy in a “mask and a hoodie”. She was punched repeatedly in the face and suffered a fractured nose.
“Neighbours came running, so the man ran away. Again, we reported here to the local police. At the moment, they connect the two events. It’s not a random event. It’s not a random mugging. This is a very safe neighbourhood. No such thing has ever happened here before,” said Gautam Patel.
The daughter received another letter on June 5, which reads, “Here we are. You were given ample warning. The gang has been paid. The next step involves cremation. Yours and your family. You can cancel the contract by doing what you were told in the last letter. Attached is the chip. Shows what happens because you choose not to comply.” The letter also enclosed an SD card, which the family decided not to open on a computer.
The daughter said the police in the UK had closed the case in the intervening months leading to the April incident. “They tell us they have no further leads. They couldn’t find anything. No forensics. So they closed it. We assume that all proper channels and authorities were exhausted, and so we trust to have full faith in the authorities… It’s the Hertfordshire Constabulary.”
Safety provided to family: UK Police
An official communication from the Hertfordshire Constabulary told The Indian Express that detectives from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Criminal Investigation Department were currently investigating a series of linked incidents relating to a family living in South Hertfordshire.
“These include an attempted burglary and threatening communication reported in August 2025, an assault reported in April 2026 and further threatening communication reported in June 2026. As part of the investigation, safeguarding measures have been provided to the family. As enquiries remain ongoing, we are unable to provide any more detailed information regarding the investigation at this time,” it added.
Gautam Patel’s wife, too, received an identical envelope in Mumbai, following which the family alerted the local police in Mumbai and got protection.
Gautam Patel filed a non-cognisance complaint with the Mumbai Police on September 9, 2025.
“So we’ve now pursued all the channels with the police, with the Indian High Commission here and everyone. At present, nothing has happened in Mumbai, but it’s all been centred in London. And the group says that it’s a guild of powerful Dawoodi Bohras and specifically demands a recantation of that judgment,” said Gautam Patel.
He continued, ”I’ve reported to the Commissioner of Police that such and such a thing has happened, but nothing has happened on Indian soil, yet. I’m expecting it.”
As of now, Gautam Patel raises “two levels” of concern — one over his close family members and the second about the system.
“Which judge is ever going to decide a matter and who’s going to read a judgment if this is the kind of thing that go on after you do your job diligently, faithfully, deliver a judgment, and this is what begins to happen. To what end? What’s the end of this? Has to be some mechanism by which secured and safeguarded,” he said.
All letters and materials received by the Patel family have been handed over to the investigating authorities as evidence.
The former judge also plans to be in London for the “foreseeable future”.
Deeply shocked, Dawoodi Bohras peace-loving: Office of Syedna Mufaddal
The office of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin condemned the attack on the family of Justice Gautam Patel and said, “We are deeply shocked and distressed by recent reports of violence, threats and intimidation directed at the Honourable Justice Gautam Patel (Retd.) and his family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.”
The communication strongly condemned such acts and “all forms of violence, threats and intimidation”, adding these were entirely “contrary” to the beliefs and the values of the community.
“The Dawoodi Bohra community, under the guidance and leadership of His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, is firmly rooted in the tenets of peace, tolerance, and an unwavering respect for the rule of law. The proceedings before the Bombay High Court were conducted with the utmost dignity and rigour, and in accordance with the highest judicial standards. The rule of law must always be respected, and any attempts to intimidate the judiciary in any form are completely unacceptable,” it said.
The statement continued, “We understand that the relevant authorities in India and the United Kingdom are fully seized of the matter and are working swiftly to bring it to an end, to ensure the safety of all those affected, and to trace whoever has perpetrated these heinous crimes. The members of our peaceful community are advised to help the authorities in any way they can in that regard. The community will continue to stand firmly for peace, lawful conduct, and the sanctity of the judicial process.”
Bombay Bar condemns attacks
In a resolution dated June 8, the Bombay Bar Association expressed grave concern over the “threats, intimidation, harassment and acts of violence” directed against Justice Gautam Patel and members of his family following the judgment in the Syedna succession dispute.
“The Association records its strongest condemnation of any attempt to threaten, intimidate, harass, assault or otherwise target a Judge (Gautam Patel) or members of a Judge’s family on account of the discharge of judicial functions. Reports that a member of Justice Patel’s family suffered physical injury in the course of one of these incidents render the matter particularly disturbing and warrant the most serious attention of the authorities,” the resolution issued by its president Nitin Thakker stated.
A letter warned former Bombay High Court judge Gautam Patel to adhere to the instructions by September end or else “harm” would befall him and his family.
Justice Gautam Patel had decided a suit that challenged the position as the spiritual head of the community by Syedna’s half-brother, Khuzaima Qutbuddin, in the Bombay High Court.
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