A firm judicial stand has emerged from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, where Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar delivered a death sentence in a dowry murder case while firmly rejecting any intimidation from criminal elements. The judge asserted that he refuses to succumb to pressure from mafias, gangsters, or lawbreakers while executing his official duties, noting that his parents taught him to fear God alone.
This ruling marks the 23rd death penalty handed down by the judge over the past four months. He warned that if judges yield to the might of strongmen and criminals while upholding the law, public faith in the judiciary would completely collapse.
Refusal to Compromise on Principles
Emphasizing his dedication to judicial ethics during the proceedings, the judge made his stance clear.
I would prefer to embrace death rather than be called a coward judge.
The judge also highlighted that he has been receiving threats from criminal syndicates and alleged that nearly 100 serious cases were withdrawn from his court to benefit wrongdoers. Citing security concerns after his protection detail in Muzaffarnagar was reportedly scaled down, he has sought enhanced security from senior officials.
Details of the Dowry Murder Case
Government counsel Kuldeep Kumar stated that the court convicted the accused, Nadeem, under relevant sections of the law and imposed a fine of one lakh rupees. The incident dates back to July 23, 2018, in the Shahpur town area, where Nadeem set his 23-year-old wife, Shahjadi, on fire following persistent demands for dowry.
Shahjadi was rushed in critical condition to Safdarjang Hospital in Delhi, where she eventually succumbed to her injuries. In her dying declaration recorded prior to her death, she directly accused Nadeem of setting her ablaze. Although all 11 prosecution witnesses turned hostile during the trial, the court relied on the victim's dying declaration to establish guilt and secure a conviction.
Surge in Capital Punishments and Administrative Transfers
Over the last four months, Judge Diwakar's fast-track court has awarded the death penalty to 23 individuals across 11 separate cases. Amidst these strict rulings, an administrative order in August transferred nearly 100 pending murder trials from his court to the bench of District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh.
District Bar Association President Pramod Tyagi noted that the transfer took place amid apprehensions among lawyers and litigants that the fast-track court might hand down more death sentences. Meanwhile, safety concerns for judicial officers gained wider attention following an incident in Mumbai's Dadar area, where miscreants surrounded a judge's car in the middle of the road and issued death threats, prompting the local police to register a case against two individuals.
