Justice For All expresses grave concern on the targeting of Judge Tabassum Khan in India

Justice For All is gravely concerned about a recent episode regarding the targeting of Judge Tabassum Khan in India. Judge Khan had passed a verdict against a group of cow-vigilantes for having attacked farmers, one of whom later died due to the injuries sustained. Judge Khan sentenced 14 of these men to life imprisonment for lynching, having found them guilty of murder. The verdict has now made her a target of Hindus who are aligned with the vigilantes. Various videos threatening Khan have surfaced online, not so much because of the verdict, but more so that she happens to be a Muslim. The videos also suggest that she acted against the murderers because they were Hindu.

Cows are considered holy by Hindus. Cow-vigilantes are Hindus who form gangs that harass Muslims and Christians, accusing them of slaughtering cows. Simply transporting cattle, even for dairy needs, has become a matter of life and death for dairy farmers. It must be pointed out that most dairy and feed cattle in India are the water buffalo, which are not considered as holy. For the cow-vigilantes, who target Muslims or Christians, this does not matter.

It is important to note that this has happened in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, which is ruled by Modi’s political party, the BJP. As in other states ruled by the BJP, perpetrators of violence and harassment against Muslims usually enjoy impunity, with little or no consequence for their actions.

India is already witnessing a sharp degradation of the justice system. Muslims are often jailed for extended periods of time without bail or even a hearing. Often the process is itself a substitute for the punishment, especially in cases where the authorities are aware that the charges would not hold in front of an impartial judge. Several judges are also complicit in the bias. Judgments against Muslims are often made with little deliberation. Victims of mob violence by Hindus often face the wrath of the police as well as the judicial system. This is especially true in cases related to cow-vigilante attacks.

It is imperative that Indian authorities track down the people who are threatening the judge and bring them to face charges. If judges are targeted, initially online and then with actual violence, we will see a further shift towards biased judgments. The dismantling of whatever remains of India’s judicial system through vigilante threats must be stopped immediately.