LUCKNOW: A Muzaffarnagar judge, while awarding the death penalty to a man for burning his wife alive, has used the sentencing order to make an extraordinary disclosure about alleged threats and pressure from a western Uttar Pradesh gangster, declaring: “I would rather die than be called a cowardly judge.”Additional district and sessions judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar of fast track court number three sentenced Nadeem to death on Monday for the murder of his 23-year-old wife Shahzadi.The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The death sentence will require confirmation by the Allahabad high court.But the most striking part of the 38-page sentencing order came when Diwakar referred to developments concerning his court and alleged that a gangster had sent him a threatening message after case files were removed from his court.The judge wrote that he was “hurt and saddened” by certain recent developments and claimed he knew why they had occurred, but did not consider it appropriate to reveal everything because of the dignity of his office.He then alleged that a western UP gangster contacted him through an intermediary after the files were removed.According to the order, the message conveyed to him was: “So far, only the files have been removed. If you come after us or make any comment, we will use our influence to get the court changed or get you transferred out of the district.”The judge further recorded the allegation that some powerful gangsters in western UP enjoyed caste and political patronage and had networks extending to “higher levels”.Diwakar responded in unusually personal terms.He wrote that if he began fearing “mafia, strongmen or criminals”, it would be more appropriate for him to resign from the judicial institution.“I would rather die than be called a cowardly judge,” he wrote, adding that he would continue in service as long as he could adhere to his principles, otherwise he would resign.“As long as I am sitting in the judge’s chair, the right to take a decision will be mine alone,” the order said.The remarks acquire significance against Diwakar’s judicial background. He was the judge who dealt with the Gyanvapi case in Varanasi.In Monday’s order, he himself referred to that case and said he and his family had received several death threats after it, including threats originating at an international level.The judge also referred to a case registered by the UP ATS involving Adnan Khan, alleging that an Instagram post had threatened him over the Gyanvapi proceedings.Diwakar claimed in his order that despite threats to him and his family, his security had been reduced and local police were being negligent.The latest death sentence is Diwakar’s 23rd in Muzaffarnagar. He had earlier awarded 22 death sentences within 123 days.The development also comes amid controversy over his security and judicial workload. Diwakar recently wrote to the DGP objecting to the sudden replacement of two police personnel assigned to his security.Separately, around 100 murder-related case files have reportedly been withdrawn from his fast-track court by the district judge. The reason for the withdrawal is not yet known.In Nadeem’s case, the court relied heavily on Shahzadi’s dying declaration. She had told an executive magistrate at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital that Nadeem poured kerosene over her and set her ablaze on July 23, 2018.She had suffered 98% burns and died during treatment on July 28.The court held that the manner of killing was “extremely brutal and barbaric” and classified it as a “rarest of rare” case.Significantly, although the case began with allegations of dowry harassment, the court found the dowry-related charges against Nadeem not proved.It convicted him instead under Sections 302 and 504 IPC for murder and intentional insult. Co-accused Soni was acquitted of all charges.
