Bhopal: A Muslim woman judge was relentlessly targeted by the Hindutva community after sentencing 14 cow vigilantes to life imprisonment, accused of the mob lynching of a truck driver in 2022.

Describing the assault as “extremely brutal,” Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan, on June 12, convicted the 14 accused individuals and held that they had formed an unlawful assembly with the common objective of attacking the victim.

The case pertains to the mob lynching of Nazir Ahmed, who, on the intervening night of August 2, 2022, was transporting cattle from Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra when he was brutally beaten to death in Barakhar village.

Nearly four years later, the 14 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment, triggering emotional scenes outside the court, with their family members breaking down in tears in protest.

Soon after the verdict, far-right-wing elements, including self-proclaimed cow protection groups, initiated a hate campaign against the judge, painting the judgment in a communal colour since the judge was Muslim.

The Gau Raksha Parishad staged a protest while burning effigies of Judge Khan, labelling her as “anti-Hindu” and widely sharing abusive social media posts about her religion. The protestors were heard shouting “Down with Tabassum Begum” slogans.

One of the viral videos shows a Hindutva man, calling the Judge “mulli,” a derogatory slur aimed at Muslim women, and threatening that there will be “bloodshed” across Madhya Pradesh and the country, if the convicts are not released in 10 days.

“And Hindus, whoever kills a cow is roaming around openly, and today a mulli madarc*** has become a judge, so our 14 brothers have lost their livelihood,” the Hindutva man said.

Following the virality of the video, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, instead of taking action against the individual, just served him a notice, asking him to delete the video or face action.

Sudarshan News editor Suresh Chavhanke also supported the hate campaign, terming the judgement “Judicial lynching” and said on air, “We stand with all the gau-rakshaks and their families. This fight is not yours alone; it is ours too.”

Taking suo motu cognisance of the social media posts, the Seoni Malwa police registered a first information report. According to Newslaundry, police have launched efforts to identify those responsible for the communally charged videos. The FIR includes videos of the man calling for a massacre across India.

Congress leader Pawan Khera responded to the online campaign against Judge Tabassum Khan, saying the Hindu men “were not convicted because of their religion; they were convicted because the investigation found them guilty of rioting, attempted murder and murder.”

“Yet our Hindu brother in the video is not outraged by their behaviour. His outrage is reserved for one fact alone: that the judge who convicted them is a Muslim woman,” he said. Such bigotry, Khera said, would result in legal action in a civilised society, but in Modi’s India, “however, this man spewing hate walks free while notices are sent to those questioning his conduct.”