In Madhya Pradesh, India, Muslim judge Tabassum Khan has received death and rape threats following her verdict sentencing 14 self-proclaimed cow vigilantes to life imprisonment for the 2022 killing of truck driver Nazir Ahmed. The Additional District and Sessions Judge delivered the ruling on June 12, 2026, after finding the accused guilty of murder, attempted murder, rioting, and unlawful detention. The court described the attack as extremely brutal and barbaric.

Following the verdict, extremist Hindu groups and relatives of the convicts protested outside the court, burning effigies of the judge. Hate campaigns targeting her religion spread across social media, including violent and inflammatory videos. The Madhya Pradesh High Court intervened on its own initiative, ordering police to ensure the judge’s safety and take strict action against those spreading hate. Several individuals have already been arrested.

India’s top legal bodies, including the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association, condemned the threats and expressed strong support for judicial independence.