Judge who awarded 36 death sentences in 16 months transferred to family court
Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, known for issuing a high volume of death sentences in Uttar Pradesh, has been transferred from a fast-track court to a family court. The move follows a controversial tenure marked by administrative disputes over case recalls and his previous involvement in the high-profile Gyanvapi mosque case.
Why it matters
The transfer highlights ongoing tensions within the Indian judiciary regarding administrative oversight and the handling of sensitive, politically charged litigation.
MUZAFFARNAGAR: Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who made national headlines for awarding 23 death sentences in 11 cases between April and Sept this year in Muzaffarnagar and 13 in Bareilly, has been transferred from fast track court to family court, according to a judicial transfer order. He will now take charge as additional principal judge of the family court in Muzaffarnagar.TOI had on Aug 17 reported about Judge Diwakar’s string of death sentences. The jurist was transferred to Muzaffarnagar on Nov 29, 2025. As a presiding officer of fast track court-3, he heard criminal cases involving Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts.
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