Who Is Ravi Kumar Diwakar? 100 Murder Cases Shifted From UP Judge Who Sentenced 22 to Death in 4 Months
Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who has sentenced 22 people to death in four months at a Muzaffarnagar fast-track court, has had nearly 100 pending murder cases transferred to another judge amid apprehensions among lawyers over the possibility of capital punishment being awarded.
About 100 murder cases pending before a judge of a fast-track court in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, who has sentenced 22 people to death in the last four months, have now been transferred to a different judge. The cases, involving offences punishable with death or life imprisonment, were transferred from Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar to the court of District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh, a government counsel told news agency PTI.
Cases Transferred Amid Bar Association Concerns
District Bar Association president Pramod Tyagi said that there were apprehensions among lawyers and litigants over the possibility of the court awarding capital punishment. Union Cabinet Approves Proposal To Increase Strength of Supreme Court Judges From 33 to 37.
Who Is Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar
Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who was earlier in the news for passing the order to conduct a videography survey of Varanasi's Gyanvapi complex in 2022, is known for his strong verdicts.
A resident of Lucknow, the 46-year-old started as an additional civil judge in Azamgarh in 2009. He was then elevated as a civil judge in Sultanpur in May 2015 and as a judicial magistrate about five months later. Judge Diwakar, who holds a BCom and an LLM degree, has been serving as the additional district and sessions judge in Muzaffarnagar since November 2025. Andhra Pradesh HC Viral Video: High Court Judge Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao Orders ‘Indolent’ Advocate Sent to Police Custody, CJI Surya Kant Seeks Report.
22 Death Sentences In 10 Cases
Sentenced 4 To Death In 12-Year-Old Murder Case
On August 13, he sentenced four people to death in a 12-year-old murder case, also imposing a fine of INR 1.70 lakh on the convicts Ramvir, Rajiv, Rahul and Harender Kumar, after holding them guilty for the murder of Pawan Kumar. The accused had entered Kumar's house and opened fire during an attack allegedly stemming from old rivalry in Shamli district on July 14, 2014. Kumar was killed in the firing, while his brother, Ashok Kumar, sustained bullet injuries.
Death Penalty To Man For Killing Wood Trader For Ransom In 1999
On August 12, he awarded the death penalty to a man for kidnapping and killing a wood trader for ransom nearly 27 years ago. He held Shahnawaz, the convict, guilty for murdering Saleem in 1999. Saleem was kidnapped for a ransom of INR 5 lakh and later killed by slitting his throat in a jungle in Chapar on December 9, 1999.
Sentenced 4 To Death In 2011 Farmer Murder Case
On July 17, he sentenced four men to death for the murder of a farmer in 2011 during an attempted robbery in Shamli district. The farmer, Raj Singh, was travelling on a motorcycle with his friend, Bijendra, to his sister's house on August 20, 2011, when they were intercepted by unidentified assailants who attempted to rob them. Raj Singh was shot dead after he resisted, while Bijendra was tied up and thrown into a nearby sugarcane field.
Sentenced Ex-Village Head, His Associate To Death In Murder Case
On July 6, he sentenced a former village head and his associate to death in a 2010 murder case, observing that it fell in the rarest of rare cases. Rajbir Singh, 60, was shot dead over panchayat election enmity on August 24, 2010. The former village head, Pramod, and his associate, Sahdev, were later arrested for the murder.
Death Penalty For Killing Home Guard On Duty
On July 2, Judge Diwakar convicted a man of murdering a home guard on duty and awarded him the death sentence, holding that the case fell in the "rarest of rare" category. The incident took place on June 4, 2020, when the home guard, Ratiram, intervened to rescue the accused's mother after he allegedly assaulted her. Enraged, the accused, Deepak, stabbed Ratiram to death.
2 Sentenced To Death In Murder Case
On June 20, he sentenced two persons, Gajendra and Ramkiran, to death in connection with the murder of Rajendra Saini, again observing that the case fell into the rarest of rare cases.
50-Year-Old Man Gets Death Penalty In 15-Year-Old Double-Murder Case
On May 30, his fast-track court awarded the death penalty to a 50-year-old man for killing a woman and her six-year-old son in a case dating back nearly 15 years. The victims, Rajesh Devi (30) and her son Himanshu, were murdered in Muzaffarnagar district on November 7, 2011. According to the prosecution, Rahis took Rajesh Devi and the child to a nearby sugarcane field and killed them by repeatedly hitting them with bricks after an argument. Their bodies were found on November 13.
Death Sentence To Woman, Her 3 Sons In 2019 Murder Case
On April 28, Judge Diwakar sentenced a woman and her three sons to death in a 2019 murder case.
Sentenced 3 To Death In 2019 Murder Case
On April 6, the Muzaffarnagar fast-track court awarded a death sentence to three persons in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a lawyer in 2019. According to the prosecution, the victim, lawyer Mohammad Sameer, was kidnapped and later killed over a monetary dispute of INR 45 lakh on October 15, 2019. During the investigation, police found that the accused had disposed of the body at another location with the help of one of the accused, and the body was later recovered from a forest area in Sikri village.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2026 10:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
