In a dramatic turn of events, an NIA court’s Special Judge, Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi, has raised the alarm for the safety of Additional District Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar. The appeal, directed to the Registrar General of the Allahabad High Court, underscores the rising tension surrounding Judge Diwakar, renowned for his pivotal 2022 order for a videographic survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
The urgency of Judge Tripathi’s request is rooted in a recent FIR filed by the UP ATS against Adnan Khan, who stands accused under various IPC and UAPA sections for allegedly issuing threats against Judge Diwakar. The FIR details Khan’s use of an Instagram account to propagate threats and incite violence against the judge.
The FIR against Khan paints a chilling picture. It accuses him of posting a photo of Judge Diwakar with a provocative caption encouraging violence. The image featured the term “Kafir” in red, ominously scrawled above the judge’s eyes, accompanied by the caption, “THE KAFIR’S BLOOD IS HALAL FOR YOU THOSE WHO FIGHT AGAINST YOUR DEEN.”
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The FIR, filed by the UP ATS Investigating Officer, asserts that Khan’s post, widely viewed, has incited individuals aligned with his ideology to consider violent actions against Judge Diwakar. It also suggests that such posts are fueling religious discord and anti-national sentiments, thereby exacerbating communal tensions.
Judge Diwakar, currently stationed as an Additional Sessions Judge in Bareilly, has himself communicated concerns over his security to the government secretary, describing his current protection as “inadequate.” His letter echoes the threats outlined by Judge Tripathi, stressing that “Islamic fundamentalist forces are brainwashing people of a particular religion and instigating them against me, and a conspiracy is being hatched to kill me by declaring me an infidel.”
The backdrop to these events traces back to May 2022, when Judge Diwakar, then serving as Civil Judge (Sr. Di.) in the Varanasi Court, authorized the continuation of the Gyanvapi Mosque survey. At the time, he remarked on his family’s constant concern for his safety. This survey was initiated following petitions from five Hindu women seeking year-round access to a Hindu shrine situated behind the mosque’s western wall.
The escalating threats and the gravity of the situation now compel a reevaluation of the security measures for Judge Diwakar, ensuring that judicial independence and personal safety are both staunchly upheld.
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