The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government and the Ministry of External Affairs to keep the investigation reports on threats to former judge Justice Gautam Patel in sealed envelopes, citing concerns that public disclosure could compromise the probe.A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad took on record two reports submitted by Advocate General Milind Sathe, representing the State, and Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, representing the MEA.The court ordered the reports to be placed in two sealed covers.The judges referred to the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks during the hearing. They noted that live coverage of the incident and combat action by armed forces had provided information to assailants.“We do not want the attackers in this case to know what is 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,” he added.The case pertains to threats and attacks on Justice Patel and his family members over his 2024 Dawoodi Bohra succession verdict judgment. The judgment held that Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin was the rightful successor and 53rd Dai al-Multaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community.Justice Patel and his family members have been receiving threatening letters since the last 10 months.The ASG has submitted orally that the Ministry has taken steps to ensure the safety and security of Justice Patel and his family members in the United Kingdom.Reliable sources from the Bombay High Court administration confirmed that Chief Justice of India Surya Kant met Indian High Commissioner P. Kumaran in London during his official visit. He asked the High Commissioner to ensure the safety of Justice Patel’s family.The Bench was hearing a PIL filed by the Bombay Bar Association, Association of Advocates of Western India, and Bombay Incorporated Law Society. The petitioners had sought investigation into the case.The HC posted the matter for further hearing on August 7. Published - July 03, 2026 12:53 am IST