A woman judge was threatened and verbally abused by a convict and his lawyer moments after she delivered a guilty verdict in a six-year-old cheque bounce case inside a Delhi courtroom on April 2.

Judicial Magistrate First Class (NI Act) Shivangi Mangla, who presides at Dwarka Court, recorded in her order that the man, enraged by her decision, hurled abuses at her and threatened her life in open court, The Indian Express reported.

“Tu hai kya cheez ………….ki tu bahar mil, dekhte hai kaise zinda ghar jaati hai (Who do you even think you are? Meet us outside—we’ll see how you return home alive),” the convict shouted.

The judge noted that the accused was holding an unidentified object in his hand, which he attempted to throw at her after she pronounced the conviction under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.

The man, along with his counsel Athul Kumar, launched into a barrage of offensive comments, including personal insults and derogatory references directed at Judge Mangla’s mother.

She described it as an eruption of anger over the conviction and said both the convict and his lawyer tried to coerce her into reversing her verdict.

“Then again they both… harassed me mentally and physically to resign from [my] job and… to acquit the accused, else they will file a complaint against me and forcibly arrange my resignation,” the judge stated in her order.

Judge Mangla has recommended that appropriate action be taken against the accused before the National Commission for Women (NCW) for issuing threats and harassment.

She has also ordered a showcause notice be issued to advocate Athul Kumar, asking him to provide a written explanation for his behaviour and why he should not face criminal contempt proceedings before the Delhi high court.

The man was handed 22 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of Rs 6.65 lakh.

The man’s lawyer requested leniency, citing that the convict was a 63-year-old retired government school teacher with three unemployed sons.

In her order, Judge Mangla also referred the matter to the principal district and sessions judge for the south west district in Dwarka, for possible referral to the Delhi high court to initiate appropriate legal proceedings regarding the courtroom incident.

The episode has once again drawn attention to the safety of judicial officers, particularly women judges, inside court premises — spaces that are presumed to be secure.