Bombay High Court's Order On Dawoodi Bohra Community's Succession Row

The Bombay High Court dismissed a 2014 suit challenging the position and appointment of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as the leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community.

The court has "only decided on the issue of proof and not faith," a single bench of Justice Gautam Patel said and dismissed the suit initially filed by Khuzaima Qutbuddin soon after his brother and the then Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin passed away in January 2014 at the age of 102.

Mr. Burhanuddin's second son Mufaddal Saifuddin then took over as the Syedna.

In 2016, after Mr. Qutbuddin passed away, his son Taher Fakhruddin took over the suit claiming his father had conferred the powers on him. The suit sought the court to restrain Mr. Saifuddin from discharging his duties as Syedna. Mr. Qutbuddin had in his suit claimed his brother Mr. Burhanuddin appointed him as the mazoon (second in command) and privately anointed him as his successor through a secret nass (conferment of succession), before the mazoon announcement on December 10, 1965. Mr. Fakhruddin claimed that his father conferred and appointed him for the position before dying.