17 death sentences in 7 cases, 100 days: Why a Muzaffarnagar trial court stands out
In a span of just 100 days, between April 6 and July 17, Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar of Fast Track Court No. 3 in Muzaffarnagar delivered 17 death sentences in seven separate murder trials. This is significantly higher than the 28 death sentences handed down across the entire state of Uttar Pradesh in 2025. The two states with the next highest number of death sentences by trial courts that year were Karnataka and West Bengal, each with 15 and 14 respectively.
Out of the 22 accused, 17 received the death penalty while the remaining five either did not stand trial, passed away during the investigation or trial, or were tried for crimes unrelated to murder. Judge Diwakar's orders did not include records of the state's required reports on the accused's mental health, jail conduct, behavior, and work in custody as mandated by the Supreme Court.
The court did, however, note the accused's demeanor in court, finding no remorse in several cases. These 17 death sentences now await confirmation by the Allahabad High Court and could be reopened if the Manoj safeguards were not followed.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
