The retired judge of the Bombay High Court GS Patel and his family members are repeatedly subjected to acts of violence, targeted attack and have also received life threats over his landmark verdict in 2024, pertaining to deciding the spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, a sub-sect of Shia Muslims. For 10 months now, the family has been continuously prone to life threats and the most recent attack was on June 5, 2026.
In 2024, GS Patel, as the judge of Bombay High Court had settled the most contentious and controversial matter by deciding who should be the spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community. The judge and his family are thus receiving life threats from the opposite factions of the Dawoodi Bohra community who oppose the judgement and don’t acknowledge the chosen spiritual leader. The demand of the Dawoodi Bohra faction is that the retired judge should withdraw his 2024 judgement. To accomplish this deed, the community is attacking the judge and his family as a warning and ultimatum, if the verdict is not quashed.
Series of targeted attacks
On June 5, Retired judge GS Patel’s daughter Aditi Patel received an anonymous letter in London. As per the sources, it read, “You were given ample warning. The gang has been paid. The next step involves cremation of you and your family. You can cancel the contract by doing what you were told in the last letter. Attached is a chip that shows what happens because you chose not to comply”. These harsh statements reflect the intensity of the threat on the judge’s family. The letter is said to be sent from Germany as it bears a German stamp. However, it mentioned a fake address from London.
The SD card enclosed with the letter is taken into police custody for investigation. The judge’s family didn’t open or use the card as it can be a cybercrime attempt such as corrupting the computer or mobile phone and tracking the footprints and activities of the family, which can lead to further life threats. The harsh nature of the targeted attack on the judge and his family illustrates the intensity of animosity carried by the Dawoodi Bohra community as a part of its religious sentiments.
In August 2025, Justice GS Patel’s wife Malashri Patel received a threatful letter to their Mumbai house which read, “We are a powerful guild of the DB (Dawoodi Bohra) community members interested in justice being served for our community. We have employed a very capable and dangerous syndicate who carried out the warning in London”. Simultaneously daughter Aditi Patel received a similar letter in London which warned about breaking into her home.
Infact, Justice Patel has been writing about the life threats to the Indian High Commissioner in London, to the acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and also to the Chief Justice of India(CJI) Surya Kant. “I have been retired since April 2024. A judgment of the Bombay High Court cannot be recanted by a YouTube video”, Retired Judge GS Patel mentioned in the letter.
Again on April 22, 2026, while Aditi Patel was on a school run, a masked man attacked her from behind and assaulted her nose leading to severe fracture and bloodshed. Complaint has been filed with both Mumbai Police and London counter-terrorism unit. The Indian High Commission in London has assured of taking appropriate steps to protect Justice GS Patel’s family.
Dawoodi Bohra community & the dispute over spiritual leader
The Dawoodi Bohra community is a faction within Shia Muslims. Following the death of the 52nd spiritual and temporal leader Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the Dawoodi Bohra community filed a lawsuit in Bombay High Court in 2014, contesting the appointment of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, son of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, as the next Dai al-Mutlaq or the spiritual leader. The lawsuit was filed by the uncle of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin and his son. In April 2024, Justice GS Patel, dismissed the lawsuit citing lack of sufficient evidence to prove the divine rights for succession. Thus, Justice GS Patel, reinstated Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as the 53rd spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community. Since then, the rebel faction of the community is espousing targeted attacks and violence on the judge and his family members.
