India
2026
STATUSRetentionist
EXECUTIONS 20260
SENTENCES20
- GOVERNMENT
- federal parliamentary republic
- CONSTITUTION
- January 26, 1950; amended several times
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on English common law; partial review of legislative acts by the judiciary
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral, Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and People's Assembly (Lok Sabha)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme Court, judges appointed by the President and serve until 65 years of age
RELIGIONS
80% Hindu; 11% Muslims; 2% Christians; 2% Sikhs; Buddhist minorities and others
From the country
OCTOBER 16, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYIndia: court gives death sentence to snakebite murder couple
OCTOBER 11, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYIndia: Madras high court commutes death sentence to life imprisonment
OCTOBER 9, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYIndia: Supreme Court questions 'forgiving' approach to death penalty
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTY
India: Death sentence commuted to life imprisonment without possibility of remission
SEPTEMBER 16, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYIndia: 10 get death sentence in 2013 Maoist attack on Chhattisgarh Congress leaders
SEPTEMBER 14, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYIndia: man sentenced to death for rape, murder of girl in 2023
JULY 23, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT, MURDER OF 7-YEAR-OLD BOY IN UP
JULY 21, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT SETS ASIDE DEATH PENALTY IN 1996 SAMLETI BUS BLAST CASE, ORDERS FRESH TRIAL
JULY 7, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GUJARAT HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR 38 ACCUSED AND LIFE TERM FOR 11 PERSONS IN 2008 AHMEDABAD SERIAL BLAST CASE
- APRIL 16, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT STAYS THREE DEATH SENTENCES, ORDERS FULL MITIGATION INQUIRY
A three-judge bench of the Indian Supreme Court on 13 April 2026, stayed a death sentence awarded to three convicts in a case from Dakshina Kannada.
APRIL 7, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH PENALTY FOR NINE POLICE OFFICERS WHO TORTURED TWO CHRISTIAN DALITS TO DEATH
In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, nine police officers were sentenced to death on April 6, 2026 for the in-custody deaths of P. Jeyaraj and his son J. Benniks, two Dalit Christians.
MARCH 25, 2026IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY IN LUDHIANA RAPE-MURDER CASE
The Punjab and Haryana High Court commuted the death sentence of a 28-year-old man convicted of raping and murdering a 4-year-7-month-old child in Ludhiana, the Tribune reported on March 20, 2026.