The Allahabad High Court, on Sunday, issued an order moving Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar to the family court in Muzaffarnagar, effective immediately.
Diwakar’s stint in the fast‑track court was marked by a record 23 death sentences in just six months, a figure that drew scrutiny from legal circles and the public. Between April and September, the judge handed down sentences in 11 cases, a pace unmatched in the state.
Earlier this year, Diwakar challenged the August administrative order that withdrew 97 part‑heard murder and serious offence cases from his docket, arguing that the move violated procedural safeguards and undermined judicial independence. In a 35‑page judgment, he wrote that such withdrawals, without following prescribed procedures, erode the rule of law.
The transfer has triggered a reshuffle in Muzaffarnagar’s judiciary. Shiv Kumari, a senior magistrate with a decade of experience in criminal law, will assume Diwakar’s role in the fast‑track court, while he will now preside over family matters. Observers say the move signals the court’s intent to curb administrative overreach. A local NGO worker, who had pleaded for a fair trial in one of Diwakar’s death‑sentence cases, expressed relief at the change.
The Allahabad High Court will convene a panel on March 22 to examine the procedural lapses in the withdrawal of cases and to formally approve Shiv Kumari’s appointment.