Allahabad High Court Transfers 619 Judicial Officers Including Varanasi Judge Who Ordered Survey Inside Gyanvapi Mosque

The Allahabad High Court on Monday transferred a total of 619 judicial officers posted in different districts of the state. All the transferred judicial officers have been asked to hand over charge at their present place of posting on July 04th, 2022.

In total 619 Judicial officers have been transferred including 213 Civil Judges (Junior Division) cadre, 285 Additional District & Sessions Judges cadre, and 121 Civil Judges (Senior Division) cadre.

Allahabad High Court transfers 619 judicial officers of the state including the Civil Judge (Senior Div.) Varanasi, who appointed a commission to survey the #GyanvapiMosque premises and had ordered the sealing of the spot inside the Mosque where Shiva linga was reportedly found. pic.twitter.com/AQ5YHbMkXn

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) June 21, 2022

The list of judges transferred contains the name of Varanasi Judge, Ravi Kumar Diwakar [Civil Judge (Senior Division)] who has been transferred to Bareilly. Judge Diwakar had, in April 2022, ordered an inspection of the Gyanvapi Mosque premises on petitions moved by five Hindu women asking for year-long access to pray at a Hindu shrine behind the western wall of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi.

It may be noted that on May 16, when the Court presided over by Judge Diwakar was told that the court-appointed Advocate Commissioner had found Shiva Linga inside the Gyanvapi Mosque premises during the survey, he had ordered to seal the place/area concerned.

Importantly, while ordering a continuation of the survey of Gyanvapi Mosque premises, he had expressed concerns regarding safety in his order. 

"An atmosphere of fear was created by making this simple civil case into an extraordinary case. The fear is so much that my family is always concerned about my safety and I am concerned about their safety. Concerns about safety are repeatedly expressed by my wife when I am out of the house", Civil Judge (Sr. Di.), Varanasi Court, Ravi Kumar Diwakar remarked as he had ordered the continuation of the survey of Gyanvapi Mosque premises.

Earlier this month, he had also written to the Uttar Pradesh Government after he had received a threat letter from a Registered Post

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Civil Judge (Sr. D.), Varanasi Court Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who ordered the sealing of a spot in Gyanvapi mosque where Shiva Linga was reportedly found, has received a threat letter from a Registered Post. He has written to UP Govt.#Gyanvapi #GyanvapiMosque pic.twitter.com/ZaKQ6SGFM2

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) June 7, 2022