Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar of Muzaffarnagar has declared he would prefer death over being a "coward judge," delivering his 23rd capital punishment in four months, this time in a dowry death case. He asserted he would not succumb to pressure from mafias and criminals, despite receiving threats and having numerous cases transferred from his court.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar of Muzaffarnagar has publicly questioned the administrative recall of 97 serious criminal cases from his court. His remarks, made in an acquittal order, highlight concerns about judicial independence and the legality of withdrawing "part-heard" cases without proper procedure, especially after he had delivered 23 death sentences.
An additional district and sessions judge in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced 22 individuals to death across 10 different cases within the last four months. These verdicts cover serious offences including murder, abduction, and highway robbery, highlighting the court's rigorous approach to severe crimes.
A fast-track court in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced a 50-year-old man to death for the murder of a woman and her six-year-old son in 2011.
A fast-track court in Muzaffarnagar sentenced a woman and her three sons to death in a murder case dating back to September 2019.
A fast track court in Muzaffarnagar has sentenced three people to death and another to seven years' imprisonment for the abduction and murder of a lawyer in 2019.
Judge Ravi Kumar Diakar, who had ordered the video survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, informed the Uttar Pradesh authorities on Tuesday that he had received a hand-written threat letter.
Civil Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar on Thursday rejected a plea to replace the advocate commissioner the court had appointed for conducting a videography survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex in Varanasi and ordered the completion of the task by May 17.
The judge made the remarks while sentencing 25-year-old Mohammad Alim to life imprisonment, convicting him for raping and threatening a student after falsifying his identity.
The Banaras Bar Association and Central Bar Association, Varanasi had decided to boycott work as they were upset over the remarks of a Special Secretary against lawyers because of which the hearing did not take place in the court, according to advocate Abhay Yadav, representing the Muslim side in the case.
The survey was stalled last week amid objections by the mosque committee, which claimed that the advocate commissioner appointed by the court for the survey did not have the mandate to film inside the premises.
A Varanasi court, which had ordered the videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, on Tuesday removed advocate commissioner Ajay Mishra on grounds of non-cooperation, an official said.
The court will also decide on a plea by the Gyanvapi mosque management committee (Anjuman Intezamiya Masjid) seeking removal of Ajay Kumar Mishra as the court commissioner for the survey, lawyers said.
The court also directed for completion of the survey by May 17 and submission of its report, Abhay Nath Yadav, who is representing the Gyanvapi mosque management committee, said.
Before the arrival of the court commissioner and his team here, a large crowd of devotees had gathered for Friday prayers.
'As per the orders of the court, the videography survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex took place from May 14 to May 16 from 8 am to 12 noon, and its report was to be submitted to the court'
Madan Mohan Yadav, an advocate of the Hindu side, claimed the survey team found a Shivling in the complex near 'wazookhana'
A mosque committee member said it is waiting for the Supreme Court ruling on the matter but till then it will cooperate with the district court.
Singh said the court also gave a week's time to both Hindu and Muslim sides to file objections to the report of a court-mandated videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
The apex court will hear the matter amidst an important development with a Varanasi court on Monday directed the district administration there to seal the spot of the survey inside the complex where allegedly 'Shivling' has been found by the surveying team.
The Muslims protested against the survey even as the mosque management committee moved a Varanasi district court seeking the appointment of a different court commissioner.
The survey was stalled last week amid objections by the mosque committee, which claimed that the advocate commissioner appointed by the court for the survey did not have the mandate to film inside the premises.
'The survey work went on in a peaceful manner and, there has been no objection from anyone.'
A commission appointed by a court in Varanasi to conduct a videographic survey of the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex submitted its report on Thursday, an advocate said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the civil court in Varanasi to not proceed with hearing the Gyanvapi case till it takes up the matter on Friday.
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This is one of the biggest casualties suffered by the elite COBRA unit that undertakes special jungle warfare ops.
