Agra: Additional district and sessions judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who has awarded death sentences to 22 convicts in nine cases in Muzaffarnagar over the past 129 days, has written to UP DGP alleging a security lapse after his gunner was removed without “any reason” or prior consent. Muzaffarnagar police, however, said the security personnel was on leave and an alternative gunner had been deployed.
The issue surfaced after Diwakar’s four-page letter dated July 30 came into public domain. In June 2022, after he ordered a videographic survey of Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, he reported receiving a handwritten threat letter purportedly from Islamic Aagaz Movement. “It is to inform with regard to the matter that the security personnel of the judge was on leave, due to which an alternative security personnel was assigned duty in his place.
The judge said the action was arbitrary and amounted to negligence in providing security to a judicial officer. “It is noteworthy that on July 14, the gunner allotted to me was changed by the police officer without any reason, whereas normally the gunner of any officer is not removed without the consent of that officer,” Diwakar wrote. “I have been informed by several police personnel about the conduct of the officer that he does not grant leave to any constable without taking money, and that after taking money, constables are posted for duty at the places where they wish to serve,” the judge wrote. Upon returning from leave, the said security personnel has been re-deployed to the security duty of the judge,” police said.
In the letter, he alleged that a police officer removed constable Ravindra Singh Thakurela, who was deployed as his gunner, without assigning any reason. He added that gunners attached to officers such as district magistrates, SPs and IGs are ordinarily not removed without consent. In the same letter, Diwakar also made allegations against the police officer. TOI made several calls and sent messages to the police officer seeking his response to the allegations, but they went unanswered. Varanasi police registered a case and reviewed his security. The order had been passed in a suit filed by five Hindu women seeking worship rights at Shringar Gauri site, and Supreme Court later transferred the proceedings to Varanasi district judge.
Diwakar’s security concerns have surfaced earlier as well. Muzaffarnagar police issued a statement on Tuesday denying that the judge had been left without cover.