Would rather die than be called a coward, says judge who handed down 23 death sentences

Justice Ravi Kumar Diwakar. File | Photo credit: The Hindu

On Monday (September 7, 2026), Muzaffarnagar judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who had handed down 22 death sentences in five months, said he would rather “die” than be branded a “coward”, and handed down another death sentence in a dowry murder case, taking the total to 23.

The judge has been in the limelight before, especially after he allowed a survey of the premises of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi in 2022.

In the latest death sentence, handed down on September 7, the judge sentenced Mohd. Nadeem murdered his wife Shahzadi by dousing her with kerosene and setting her on fire in July 2018. The court described the killing as “extremely brutal and barbaric” and ruled that the crime fell into the “rarest of the rare” category that warrants the death penalty.

Several prosecution witnesses, including Shahzadi’s parents, turned hostile during the trial and denied allegations of dowry demands and cruelty. However, the court relied on the dying declaration of the deceased and held that the same established Nadeem’s role in the killing.

‘Deeply hurt and saddened’

Beyond the facts of the case, Mr. Diwakar, in the sentencing judgment, raised concerns about the alleged influence of the mafia and gangsters on the judicial system, particularly in western Uttar Pradesh. He claimed that criminal cases were being delayed or withdrawn under pressure and stressed that judges must remain fearless in the exercise of their judicial duties.

“I am deeply hurt and saddened by certain recent developments,” the judge noted, adding that he was forced to express his personal views.

He said he knew why the criminal cases had been withdrawn from his court but chose not to disclose them at this stage, citing the “dignity of the office”.

The judge further claimed that after the case files were withdrawn, the gangster sent a message warning that if the matter continued or he made any comments, he would be transferred to another court or transferred out of the district.

The judge said his parents had taught him to fear only God and said if he feared the mafia it would undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

“I would rather die than be called a cowardly judge,” he said, adding that he would continue to serve as long as he could abide by its principles, and would resign if he could not.

Threats in the past

The judge referred to the high-profile cases he handled, including those involving Abbas Ansari in Chitrakoot and Maulana Tauqeer Raza in Bareilly.

He recalled his time in Varanasi, mentioned the Gyanvapi case, and said that he and his family had subsequently received several death threats. He claimed that despite the threats, local authorities had failed to provide adequate security and that his security cover had been reduced.

Mr Diwakar cited previous attacks on judicial officers, including the killing of Allahabad High Court judge Justice Chandrashekhar Prasad Singh and his teenage son in 1982, the killing of Lakhimpura Chief Judicial Magistrate Kheri Balk Ram in 2001 and the killing of Dhanbad2 Additional District and Sessions Judge Anands Uttam on 20

He said the incidents showed the risks judges faced in dealing with serious criminal cases and the vulnerability of judicial officers to threats from anti-social elements.

Published – 8 Sep 2026 23:15 IST