UP court sentences 22 to death in 10 cases over four months in Muzaffarnagar

A Muzaffarnagar court in Uttar Pradesh has awarded death sentences to 22 people in 10 separate cases over a period of four months, according to government lawyer Kuldeep Kumar.

The sentences were delivered by Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar between April and August 2026.

The cases before the court included the murder of a lawyer, the killing of a home guard, highway robbery and several other murder cases.

Death sentences handed down between April and August

According to prosecution details, the court's death sentences were issued across several dates:

• April 6: Three people sentenced to death in the murder of lawyer Sameer Safi
• April 28: Four convicts sentenced to death
• May 20: One death sentence
• June 20: Two death sentences
• July 2: One death sentence
• July 6: Two death sentences
• July 17: Four death sentences
• August 12: One death sentence
• August 13: Four death sentences

Together, the cases resulted in 22 death sentences involving 10 cases.

27-year-old murder case ends in death penalty

In the latest case on August 12, the court sentenced Shahnawaz to death for the abduction and murder of wood trader Saleem for ransom nearly 27 years ago.

The court also imposed a Rs 1.10 lakh fine on him.

The case highlights how long-running criminal proceedings can continue for decades before reaching a final trial court verdict.

Four sentenced to death for 2014 murder

A day later, on August 13, the fast-track court sentenced four men — Ramvir, Rajiv, Rahul and Harender Kumar — to death for the 2014 murder of Pawan Kumar.

The court also imposed a Rs 1.70 lakh fine on the four convicts.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on July 14, 2014, when the accused allegedly entered Pawan Kumar's home in Bhabhisa village in Shamli district and opened fire following an old enmity.

Pawan Kumar was killed in the shooting, while his brother Ashok Kumar sustained bullet injuries and subsequently lodged the complaint.

What the Muzaffarnagar figures show

The number of death sentences handed down by a single court over a relatively short period has drawn attention to the pace at which serious criminal cases have been decided.

However, a trial court death sentence is not the same as an executed death penalty. Capital punishment cases in India are subject to the higher judicial review and appellate process prescribed by law.

The Muzaffarnagar court's four-month record therefore represents the outcome at the trial-court stage, with the cases subject to further legal proceedings.