22 Death Sentences In 4 Months: 100 Murder Cases Shifted
Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar's court in UP's Muzaffarnagar handed down 22 death sentences in 10 cases in four months, prompting the transfer of 100 murder cases to the district judge's court
Around 100 murder cases pending before Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar in UP's Muzaffarnagar have been transferred to the district judge's court after Diwakar handed down 22 death sentences in 10 cases in four months. The move has raised concerns among lawyers and litigants over the possibility of the court awarding capital punishment.
The cases were transferred to the court of District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh through an administrative order. The transfer includes cases involving offences punishable with death or life imprisonment, such as the murders of a lawyer, a home guard, and a farmer, as well as a highway robbery-murder.
Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar's court awarded three death sentences in the murder of lawyer Sameer Saifi on April 6, followed by four in another murder case on April 28. Two convicts were sentenced to death on June 20, one on July 2, two on July 17, and four on July 17. Five more death sentences were handed down in August.
The pace of the rulings has drawn attention because trial courts across Uttar Pradesh awarded 28 death sentences in 20 cases during the whole of 2025. Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar's court alone accounted for 22 of these death sentences in just four months.
## Why it matters The transfer of cases has raised concerns among lawyers and litigants over the possibility of the court awarding capital punishment. District Bar Association president Pramod Tyagi said there were apprehensions among lawyers and litigants over the possibility of the court awarding capital punishment. The death sentences awarded by Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar are not immediately enforceable and must be confirmed by the High Court.
The move to transfer the cases to the district judge's court may be seen as an attempt to address these concerns and ensure a more balanced approach to handling murder cases. As the cases proceed in the new court, it remains to be seen how the transfer will impact the outcome of the trials and the perception of justice among the public.
