The Bombay High Court on Thursday (July 2) directed the Maharashtra Government to ensure that the two reports submitted by Mumbai Police and also the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) with respect to the probe into the threats and attacks on former judge Justice Gautam Patel are not made public.

Reportedly, Justice Patel and his family have been facing threats for the last 11 months now over an April 2024 judgment he delivered, holding that Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin was the rightful successor and 53rd Dai al-Multaq, the spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community.

On Thursday, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad reminded the State about the live coverage of the 26/11 Mumbai Terrorist Attacks, wherein continuous coverage of the incident and the combat action by the armed forces, helped the assailants to know what action was being taken.

"You remember the Mumbai attacks. There was a continuous coverage of attacks on Trident, Cama Hospital etc. It gave all details to the assailants. We do not want the attackers in this case to know what's the line of investigation and what all angles are being investigated. So you need to ensure that the probe report isn't made public at any cost and is not shared with anyone else. We do not want this report to be published anywhere," ACJ Ghuge said.

The judges took on record the reports submitted by Advocate General Milind Sathe (on behalf of State) and Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh (on behalf of MEA).

Meanwhile, ASG Singh also orally submitted that the Ministry has taken all steps to ensure safety and security of Justice Patel and his family members in the United Kingdom.

"In order to ensure that the steps taken by the Ministry of External Affairs, High Commission, London and Mumbai Police are not made public, we are keeping these two reports in two separate 'sealed envelopes.' Since there is a progress in the probe by Mumbai Police and the Union of India, we deem it fit to adjourn the present proceedings till August 7, 2026 @ 3 PM," judges ordered.

The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Bombay Bar Association (BBA), Association of Advocates of Western India (AAWI) and the Bombay Incorporated Law Society (BILS) - all highlighting the issue and seeking investigation into the case.

As per reports, the judge's wife received threat letters in Mumbai while his daughter received similar threat letters in London, threatening of dire consequences if Justice Patel failed to "recant" his judgment via a YouTube video. The judge's daughter - Aditi Patel was also attacked by a masked man on the streets of London.

The family was thereafter provided with security and protection by the Hertfordshire Constabulary.

Reliable sources from the Bombay High Court Administration have confirmed that the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, while on his official visit to the United Kingdom (UK), met Indian High Commissioner P Kumaran in London, and asked him to ensure the safety of Justice Patel's family.