Mumbai, July 2, 2026: The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed that status reports filed by the Centre and the Mumbai Police on the investigation into alleged death threats against retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Gautam Patel be kept confidential, observing that public disclosure could hamper the probe.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad said details of the investigation should not be made public as it could hamper the probe.
“We all saw what happened during the November 26, 2008, terror attacks. The entire thing was televised and the investigation and other action were hampered. We don't want that now,” the bench observed.
Reports Kept Confidential
The court directed that the reports submitted by the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) be kept in a sealed cover, saying they were only meant to apprise the court of the progress made in the investigation and the security measures.
Advocate General Milind Sathe, appearing for the state government, informed the court that the Mumbai Police Commissioner's report stated that two non-cognisable complaints had been registered regarding the threats received by Justice Patel and his family in Mumbai.
"Investigation is on. A further status report would be submitted to the court on the next date of hearing," Sathe said.
The MEA, in its report, detailed the steps taken to protect Justice Patel's family in London and the action taken following the alleged physical assault on his daughter there.
Fresh Reports Sought
Taking the reports on record, the bench directed the Centre and the Mumbai Police to submit fresh status reports before the next hearing on August 7.
Justice Patel and his family have allegedly been receiving threatening letters for the past 10 months. The alleged perpetrators demanded that the retired judge upload a YouTube video apologising for his judgment and claiming it had been delivered under “duress and coercion”. Similar threats were also sent to Justice Patel's wife at their Mumbai residence.
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The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by three lawyers' associations, which argued that threats against a judge over judicial decisions strike at the very foundation of judicial independence.
Pursuant to the petition, the Mumbai Police had last month informed the High Court that round-the-clock protection had been provided to Justice Patel and his family.
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