UP Judge Sentences 22 to Death in 10 Cases Within Four Months
A fast-track court in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district has awarded the death penalty to 22 individuals across 10 cases over the past four months, drawing attention to the frequency and severity of the verdicts. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar has become notable for these decisions, which have been delivered since May this year.
Judge Diwakar, 46, has been serving in Muzaffarnagar since November 2024. He earlier came into the public eye in 2022 when he ordered a videography survey of the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi. A resident of Lucknow, he began his judicial career as an additional civil judge in Azamgarh in 2009 and later held positions in Sultanpur before his current posting.
Under Indian law, the death penalty is reserved for the 'rarest of rare' cases. Each of these sentences will be subject to appeal before the Allahabad High Court and ultimately the Supreme Court of India, which has set stringent standards for confirming capital punishment.
The following are the cases detailed in court records:
On May 30, the court sentenced a 50-year-old man, identified as Rahis, to death for the murder of Rajesh Devi (30) and her six-year-old son Himanshu in Muzaffarnagar district. The crime took place on November 7, 2011. According to the prosecution, Rahis took the woman and child to a sugarcane field and killed them by repeatedly striking them with bricks after an argument.
On June 20, Gajendra and Ramkiran were sentenced to death for the murder of Rajendra Saini. The court observed that the case fell within the 'rarest of rare' category.
On July 2, Deepak was convicted of murdering home guard Ratiram, who was on duty at the time. The incident occurred on June 4, 2020, when Ratiram intervened after Deepak allegedly assaulted his own mother. In response, Deepak stabbed the home guard to death. The court held that the circumstances warranted the maximum punishment.
On July 6, former village head Pramod and his associate Sahdev were sentenced to death for the murder of Rajbir Singh, 60, in 2010. The killing was linked to enmity arising from panchayat elections. The court described the case as falling under the 'rarest of rare' category.
On July 17, four men were awarded the death sentence for the murder of farmer Raj Singh in Shamli district. The farmer was shot dead on August 20, 2011, when he and his friend Bijendra were intercepted by assailants during an attempted robbery. Raj Singh resisted, and the accused shot him before tying up Bijendra and leaving him in a sugarcane field.
On August 12, Shahnawaz was given the death penalty for the kidnapping and murder of wood trader Saleem in 1999. Saleem had been abducted for a ransom of Rs 5 lakh and later found with his throat slit in a jungle in Chapar.
On August 13, four men – Ramvir, Rajiv, Rahul and Harender Kumar – were sentenced to death for the murder of Pawan Kumar in 2014. The accused allegedly entered Kumar's house and opened fire during an attack rooted in an old rivalry in Shamli. Pawan Kumar died, while his brother Ashok sustained injuries.
As per records, the court has disposed of 10 cases with death sentences in the four-month period. The details of three additional cases were not included in the available information. Legal experts stress that these verdicts are subject to appellate review, and the finality of the sentences rests with higher courts.
