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

Stating that he would rather “die” than be labelled a “coward”, Muzaffarnagar Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who has handed down 22 death sentences in five months, on Monday (September 7, 2026) awarded another death sentence in a dowry–murder case, taking the total to 23.

The judge has been in the spotlight earlier, notably after he allowed a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises in Varanasi in 2022.

In the latest death sentence, issued on September 7, the judge convicted Mohd. Nadeem of murdering his wife, Shahzadi, by pouring kerosene on her and setting her ablaze in July 2018. Describing the killing as “extremely brutal and barbaric”, the court held that the offence fell within the “rarest of rare” category warranting capital punishment.

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

‘Deeply hurt and saddened’

Going beyond the facts of the case, Mr. Diwakar, in the conviction order, raised concerns over the alleged influence of the mafia and gangsters on the judicial system, especially in western Uttar Pradesh. He claimed that criminal cases were being delayed or withdrawn under pressure and stressed that judges must remain fearless while discharging judicial duties.

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

He said he knew why criminal cases were withdrawn from his court but chose not to disclose them at this stage, citing the “dignity of the office”.

The judge further claimed that after the case files were withdrawn, a gangster sent a message warning that if he pursued the issue or made any comments, he would be moved to another court or transferred out of the district.

Stating that his parents had taught him to fear only god, the judge said that if he got scared of the mafia, it would undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

“I would rather die than be called a coward judge,” he said, adding that he would continue in service as long as he could follow his principles, and would resign if he could not.

Threats in past

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

Recalling his tenure in Varanasi, he referred to the Gyanvapi case and said he and his family had subsequently received multiple death threats. He alleged that despite the threats, local authorities did not 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 teenaged son in 1982, the murder of Lakhimpur Kheri Chief Judicial Magistrate Balk Ram in 2001, and the killing of Dhanbad Additional District and Sessions Judge Uttam Anand in 2021.

He said these incidents demonstrated the risks judges faced while handling serious criminal cases and the vulnerability of judicial officers to threats from anti-social elements.