22 death sentences in four months: Nearly 100 cases shifted from UP Judge

After an unusually high number of death penalty verdicts delivered by the judge, almost 100 serious criminal cases pending before Further District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar in Muzaffarnagar have been transferred to the court of District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh.

Key points

• When he delivered a ruling concerning the 2010 Bareilly riots, judge Diwakar was again in the spotlight in March 2024.
• The administrative order was issued by District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh.
• The order became a major development in the contentious Gyanvapi dispute and drew extensive national attention.

As reports indicate, around 97 to 100 pending murder cases involving offences punishable by death or life imprisonment have been recalled from Judge Diwakar's fast-track court and placed before the district and sessions judge.

Notably, the administrative order was issued by District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh. While the official paperwork reportedly describes the move as a routine administrative recall of cases, the transfer comes after Judge Diwakar handed down 22 death sentences in 10 cases over a period of four months, reports continued.

For context, the transfer, nevertheless, does not amount to an official finding of misconduct against Judge Diwakar, and authorities have not publicly stated that his sentencing record was the formal reason for recalling the cases.

While serving as a civil judge in Varanasi, he ordered a videographic survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar came into the national spotlight in 2022, when. The order became a major development in the contentious Gyanvapi dispute and drew extensive national attention.

When he delivered a ruling concerning the 2010 Bareilly riots, judge Diwakar was again in the spotlight in March 2024. In the judgment, he compared Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to Plato's concept of a "philosopher king". The observation was subsequently expunged by the Allahabad High Court.

Taken together, the developments around 22 death sentences in four months: Nearly 100 cases shifted from UP point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.