UP Judge Who Handed Down 23 Death Sentences Alleges Mafia Threats and Case Withdrawals

Muzaffarnagar Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar has delivered his 23rd death sentence in five months, coupling the capital punishment ruling with severe disclosures regarding alleged mafia intimidation and administrative interference. Presiding over Fast Track Court No. 3, Judge Diwakar sentenced a man named Nadeem to death for the 2018 murder of his 23-year-old wife, Shahzadi, who suffered 98 per cent burns after being set on fire.

In his 38-page judgment delivered on September 7, 2026, the judicial officer confronted mounting pressure from criminal syndicates in western Uttar Pradesh, declaring that he would rather face death than compromise his integrity. The ruling brought renewed public attention to the intersection of grassroots judicial administration, organized crime threats, and high-profile judicial assignments in the state.

The court's verdict centered on the brutal killing of 23-year-old Shahzadi on July 23, 2018, in Shahpur town. According to the court records cited in the judgment, Nadeem assaulted his wife and deliberately poured kerosene over her before setting her ablaze. Shahzadi was subsequently transferred for medical treatment and ultimately died at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi on July 28, 2018.

The prosecution case faced significant evidentiary hurdles during the trial when Shahzadi’s parents and brother turned hostile and retracted their statements before the court. However, the trial court relied heavily on a critical dying declaration recorded by an executive magistrate at Safdarjung Hospital on July 24, 2018, in which the victim explicitly named her husband as her assailant.

While holding the accused responsible for the homicide under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and imposing a fine of ₹1 lakh, the court acquitted Nadeem of specific dowry-death provisions after noting the dying declaration lacked direct mention of dowry demands. Co-accused individuals, including a sister-in-law, were acquitted, while Nadeem's mother passed away prior to the conclusion of the proceedings.

Beyond the immediate criminal conviction, Judge Diwakar utilized the judicial order to document direct threats and systemic pressures allegedly directed at him by criminal elements. He revealed that after case files were recalled from his courtroom, an intermediary delivered a threatening message warning him that continued pursuit of certain matters would result in his court being changed or his transfer executed outside the district.

Expressing deep concern over the law enforcement environment in western Uttar Pradesh, the judge recalled past historical incidents of violence within judicial complexes, such as the murder of gangster Vicky Tyagi inside a packed courtroom. He asserted that such episodes demonstrated the brazenness of local syndicates enjoying political and caste patronage.

“I would prefer to die rather than be called a cowardly judge. As long as I am able to follow my principles, I will continue to serve. Otherwise, I will resign,” Judge Diwakar wrote in his verdict, emphasizing that judicial authority must remain insulated from criminal coercion.

The outspoken judgment unfolded against the backdrop of an unusual administrative intervention last month, wherein the district judge recalled approximately 97 pending sessions cases involving murder and serious offenses from Judge Diwakar’s docket and transferred them to other courts.

Judge Diwakar noted that these files had been removed following a period in which he had delivered 22 death sentences across 10 separate cases over a four-month span. He suggested that such administrative withdrawals shielded influential accused persons and undermined the prosecution of serious crimes.

The jurist also highlighted ongoing security vulnerabilities, noting that his official protection detail had been reduced despite persistent threats. He mentioned that he had previously written to the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police objecting to the sudden replacement of police personnel assigned to safeguard him and his family.

Judge Diwakar is no stranger to high-profile litigation or public controversy. Serving as a Varanasi civil judge in 2022, he previously issued the order directing a videographic survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, a decision that drew intense national attention and resulted in multiple death threats directed at him and his family.

In his latest ruling, the judge referenced those earlier threats, noting that some communications had originated from external sources, including an Instagram account operated by an individual named Adnan Khan that featured threatening language across his photograph.

With 17 years of judicial experience since beginning his career in 2009—including postings in Sambhal and Bareilly and a total of 36 death sentences awarded throughout his tenure—Diwakar maintained that bowing to external pressure would destroy public trust in the administration of justice.

Despite the finality of the trial court’s conclusion regarding Nadeem's guilt, the capital punishment cannot be executed immediately under Indian legal procedure. The trial court directed that the complete case records be transmitted to the Allahabad High Court for statutory confirmation of the death sentence.

the court formally informed the convict of his legal right to file an appeal before the High Court within the stipulated 30-day window. In a concluding administrative direction, the judge ordered that a copy of the judgment be dispatched to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary.

the court suggested that in serious sessions matters where the State acts as complainant, the District Government Counsel should be granted an opportunity to present the state's official position whenever case files are transferred between courts without transparent justification.