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
OCTOBER 21, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ASSAM DEATH PENALTY FOR LYNCHING DOCTOR
A Jorhat court on 21 October 2020 handed death penalty to an accused and life terms to 24 others convicted in the Dr Deben Dutta lynching case of 2019.
OCTOBER 17, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HAPUR COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR
The District and Sessions Court of Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, on 15 October 2020 awarded death penalty to two domestic helps for raping and killing a 12-year-old girl in September 2018.
OCTOBER 7, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DELHI MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDERING 11-YEAR-OLD BOY
A Delhi court on 6 October 2020 awarded death penalty to a 32-year man for killing an 11-year-old child after kidnapping him in 2009, saying the act was “cruel and gruesome and did not deserve leniency”.
AUGUST 4, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE AND MURDER OF MINOR GIRL
The Vijayawada Special POCSO Act Court in Andhra Pradesh on 4 August 2020 awarded death penalty to an accused, Barlapudi Pentaiah, 43, alias Aaya, who raped and murdered an eight-year-old girl in Bhavanipuram area.
JULY 8, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BENGAL’S SERIAL KILLER SENTENCED TO DEATH IN RAPE AND MURDER CASE
A 38-year-old man was sentenced to death on 6 July 2020 in a rape and murder case by a district court in south Bengal’s East Burdwan district, police said.
JUNE 23, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MADRAS HC SETS ASIDE DEATH SENTENCE OF FIVE ACCUSED IN TAMIL NADU HONOUR KILLING CASE; GIRL'S FATHER ACQUITTED
The Madras high court acquitted on 22 June 2020 a man found guilty of the daylight killing of his son-in-law, a Dalit, and commuted the death sentence handed to five others in connection with the gruesome crime that sparked public outrage in Tamil Nadu ov
JUNE 17, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT REFUSES TO AWARD DEATH PENALTY RETROSPECTIVELY
The Supreme Court on 15 June 2020 refused to award death penalty to a convict, who committed rape and murder of a nine-year-old child last year in Telangana.
- JUNE 3, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: ALLAHABAD HC ACQUITS MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY LOWER COURT
The Allahabad High Court on 2nd June 2020 acquitted a man, who was awarded death penalty by a local court for murdering his mother, wife and a four-year-old son in Tanda, Ambedkar Nagar, in 2013.
MAY 23, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: UP COURT SENTENCES MAN TO DEATH FOR KILLING SIX PEOPLE
A court in Uttar Pradesh on 21 May 2020 awarded death sentence to a person in connection with the murder of six members of a family seven years ago over a property dispute.
- APRIL 26, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR KIDNAPPING, MURDER OF MINOR COMMUTED
The Supreme Court on 24 April 2020 commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded to two men for murdering an eight-year-old son of a dentist couple in Nagpur in 2014 after kidnapping him for ransom.
APRIL 1, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ONE GETS DEATH, 11 LIFE TERM IN TRIPLE MURDER CASE
A court in Assam on 13 March 2020 sentenced one man to death and sentenced 11 others to life imprisonment for killing three members of a family in Majuli district on suspicion of practising witch-craft in 2012.
MARCH 31, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GUJARAT MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING, KILLING 3-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A court in Rajkot in Gujarat on 17 March 2020 sentenced a man to death for the rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in February 2018.