India, Aug. 20 -- Muzaffarnagar court authorities transferred 97 serious criminal cases from Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar amid concerns raised by lawyers and litigants over capital punishment.

Court authorities in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar have transferred 97 serious criminal case files from fast-track court judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who awarded death sentences to 22 convicts across 10 cases in roughly four months.

The cases, involving offences punishable with life imprisonment or the death penalty, were transferred to the court of the district and sessions judge, according to a government counsel.

The development has drawn renewed attention to Diwakar's recent sentencing record. District Bar Association president Pramod Tyagi said law...