Overview
- The court on Thursday took on record reports from Mumbai Police and the Ministry of External Affairs and directed both to be kept in sealed envelopes to avoid public disclosure of investigative steps.
- The sealed filings cover steps taken to protect Justice Gautam Patel and his family in India and the United Kingdom and were presented by the state and the MEA in open court.
- Petitioning bar associations have asked for a high court‑monitored Special Investigation Team led by a retired top court judge and the court adjourned the case to August 7 for fresh status reports.
- Reports and filings link the threats and a reported assault on Patel’s daughter in London to his April 2024 judgment in the Dawoodi Bohra succession dispute and note threat letters sent to family members in Mumbai and London.
- The bench justified secrecy by citing the 26/11 Mumbai attacks as an example of how live disclosure can compromise operations and warned that public detail could hinder the ongoing probe and protective measures.