Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar transferred to Muzaffarnagar family court

Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar has been transferred to Muzaffarnagar’s family court under an Allahabad High Court order. He had awarded 23 death sentences in 11 cases and recently questioned the administrative withdrawal of 97 part-heard cases

Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh): Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who awarded 23 death sentences in six months, has been transferred to the family court in Muzaffarnagar following an order of the Allahabad High Court, officials said on Sunday.

Diwakar, who was presiding over a fast-track court, has been appointed Additional Principal Judge of the family court.

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According to the High Court order, Shiv Kumari will take over as the Additional District and Sessions Judge of the fast-track court.

Diwakar awarded 23 death sentences in 11 cases between April and September this year.

Recently, he questioned the withdrawal of 97 part-heard cases involving murder and other serious offences from his court through administrative orders issued in August by the then District and Sessions Judge, B.K. Singh.

In a 35-page judgment acquitting an accused in a nearly 10-year-old case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Diwakar questioned whether cases in which hearings had commenced could be withdrawn through administrative orders without following the procedure prescribed by law.

He also raised concerns about judicial independence and the limits of the administrative powers exercised by district judges.