India
2026
- 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
JANUARY 31, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF 9-YEAR-OLD
A 22-year-old man was sentenced to death on 30 January 2023 by a special court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases in Vapi of Valsad district (Gujarat) for the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in February 2020.
JANUARY 30, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 165 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN 2022, HIGHEST IN 2 DECADES
Trial courts in India sentenced 165 people to death in 2022, the highest in a year in the last two decades. This is up from 146 prisoners who were sent to death row in 2021.
JANUARY 30, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GUJARAT MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING THREE FAMILY MEMBERS
A court in Gujarat's Banaskantha district on 25 January 2023 convicted the accused in a 2019 triple murder case - all the victims being members of his family - and sentenced him to death.
JANUARY 29, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ANDHRA PRADESH FOR RAPE-MURDER OF 7-YR-OLD GIRL
A court in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on 25 January 2023 awarded death sentence to a man for raping and killing his relative, a seven-year-old girl in July 2021.
JANUARY 11, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING, KILLING FIVE-YEAR-OLD
A court in Uttar Pradesh on 11 January 2023 awarded a death sentence to a man for raping and killing a five-year-old girl in 2021.
- DECEMBER 21, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING, KILLING WOMAN
A court in Haryana’s Sonipat on 19 December 2021 sentenced two men to death for raping and killing a woman five years ago.
- NOVEMBER 30, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH BY ODISHA COURT FOR RAPING, KILLING 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Two persons were sentenced to death by a fast-track court in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district on 29 November 2022 for raping and killing an eight-year-old girl.
NOVEMBER 28, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN TRIPURA FOR KILLING FIVE INCLUDING TWO MINOR DAUGHTERS
A Tripura court on 23 November 2022 sentenced a person to death after he was convicted of murdering five persons including his two minor daughters, his brother, another person and a police officer at Ramchandraghat in Khowai district of Agartala a year ag
NOVEMBER 13, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT ACQUITS 3 MEN ON DEATH ROW FOR DELHI TEEN’S RAPE-MURDER
The Supreme Court of India on 7 November 2022 acquitted three men sentenced to death in the brutal gangrape-cum-murder of a 19-year-old woman in Delhi’s Chhawla in 2012.
- NOVEMBER 10, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF RAPE, MURDER CONVICT WHO SPENT 10-YRS SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN JAIL
The Supreme Court of India on 4 November 2022 commuted the death sentence awarded to a man for the rape and murder of a widow in 1998, noting he was in solitary confinement in jail for about 10 years.
OCTOBER 19, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN RAJASTHAN FOR RAPING, KILLING 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A court in Rajasthan’s Pali district on 15 October 2022 awarded death sentence to a man for raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl in January, the victim’s counsel said.
OCTOBER 12, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ANDHRA PRADESH FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON MINOR GIRL
The POCSO Court of Andhra Pradesh on 10 October 2022 awarded death sentence to J. Anil (30) who sexually assaulted a minor girl at Nunna village.