Around 100 serious criminal cases pending before Uttar Pradesh judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar in Muzaffarnagar have been transferred to another court after he awarded death sentences to 22 convicts over the past four months, according to reports.
The cases transferred involve offences where the possible punishment includes death or life imprisonment. They will now be heard by District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh.
The move has drawn attention because of Judge Diwakar’s recent record of handing down several death sentences.
Why Were The Cases Transferred?
According to government counsel Kuldeep Kumar, the cases were shifted from Diwakar’s fast-track court to the district and sessions court.
The District Bar Association has said that some lawyers and litigants had raised concerns about the possibility of death sentences being awarded in cases before the judge.
However, the transfer does not mean that the cases have been closed or that the convictions have been cancelled. The pending matters will continue before the new judge.
The transferred cases reportedly concern serious offences carrying either the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Who Is Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar?
Ravi Kumar Diwakar is a judicial officer in Uttar Pradesh who has served in several districts during his career.
Born in July 1980, Diwakar holds BCom and LLM degrees. He entered the judicial service as a civil judge in 2009 and subsequently worked in districts including Sultanpur, Budaun, Varanasi and Bareilly.
He has been serving as an Additional District and Sessions Judge in Muzaffarnagar since November 2025.
His recent judgments, particularly those involving capital punishment, have brought renewed attention to his work.
Why Did He Become Well Known?
Diwakar first received widespread national attention in 2022, when he was handling the Gyanvapi-related proceedings in Varanasi.
As the judge dealing with the case at that time, he ordered a videography survey of the Gyanvapi complex. The proceedings subsequently became one of the most closely watched legal matters in the country.
His name again made headlines in March 2024, when he made remarks referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as an example of Plato’s “philosopher king” in an order connected with the 2010 Bareilly riots case.
The Allahabad High Court later ordered those remarks to be removed from the order.
22 Death Sentences In Four Months
The latest controversy surrounding Diwakar’s court is linked to the number of death sentences awarded in a relatively short period.
Reports state that he sentenced 22 convicts to death in four months. Following this, around 100 pending cases involving offences punishable by death or life imprisonment were shifted to the court of District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh.
The development has therefore attracted attention not only because of the number of cases involved but also because of Diwakar’s earlier high-profile judicial decisions.
What Happens To The Cases Now?
The cases will continue under the new judge. The transfer itself does not determine the outcome of any case.
The court will examine the evidence, arguments and applicable law before deciding each matter independently.
