The Death Sentence Judge: A Flashpoint in India's Judicial System The recent spate of death sentences handed down by Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar has ignited a fiery debate about the application of the "rarest of rare" doctrine in Indian jurisprudence.
In just four months, Diwakar has sentenced 22 convicts to death, sparking intense scrutiny of his record on capital punishment cases. Diwakar's tenure as a judge has been marked by controversy from the outset.
His order for a videographic survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi in 2022 sparked widespread protests and raised questions about the independence of the judiciary.