Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who gained significant attention for delivering a series of capital punishment verdicts, has been transferred to a family court in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The judicial transfer order assigns him to the role of additional principal judge of the family court, ending his tenure as the presiding officer of fast track court-3 in the same district.
Records indicate that Judge Diwakar awarded 23 death sentences across 11 cases during his time in Muzaffarnagar between April and September 2026. This period of high-profile judicial activity followed his previous posting in Bareilly, where he had awarded 13 death sentences. In total, the judge has delivered 36 death sentences during his recent judicial assignments. The latest transfer order does not provide specific reasons for his reassignment, and judicial authorities have confirmed that additional sessions judge Shiv Kumari has been appointed to oversee the fast track court-3 position he previously occupied.
Beyond the volume of death sentences, Judge Diwakar’s tenure in Muzaffarnagar was marked by public and administrative attention regarding the management of legal files. In August, at least 97 pending criminal cases, including matters involving murder and other serious offences, were recalled from his court under the orders of the then-district and sessions judge, Birendra Kumar Singh. Judge Diwakar had publicly questioned the basis of this administrative withdrawal, specifically raising concerns about the lack of recorded reasons for moving the cases and the broader implications of administrative authority over ongoing judicial proceedings.
Judge Diwakar’s career has frequently intersected with high-profile legal issues. In May 2022, while serving as a civil judge (senior division) in Varanasi, he ordered a court-monitored videographic survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex. This move came amid proceedings regarding the worship rights of five Hindu women at the Shringar Gauri site. The order led to significant national debate after petitioners claimed that a structure found within the mosque’s ritual ablution area was a Shivling, a claim the Muslim side contested. Following those events, the Supreme Court of India transferred the proceedings to the Varanasi district judge’s court.
Security concerns have also been a recurring theme during his career. Following the Gyanvapi survey order, the judge reported receiving threats, which led authorities to implement security reviews. More recently, while posted in Muzaffarnagar, he communicated with the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police to express concerns over the removal of his assigned personal security detail, which he argued compromised his safety. Police officials maintained that alternative security arrangements had been established for the judge.
Born 46 years ago, Judge Diwakar entered the Uttar Pradesh judicial service in 2009 as a civil judge. He holds a background in commerce and law, possessing B.Com, LL.B, and LL.M degrees. Throughout his career, he has served in various districts, including Azamgarh, Sultanpur, Budaun, and Chitrakoot, before his move to the fast track court system. The current transfer to the family court in Muzaffarnagar represents the latest chapter in his 17-year judicial career, as the local legal community monitors the transition in the fast track court’s administration.
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