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, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: KERALA HIGH COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE AWARDED IN KOLIYOOR RAPE AND MURDER CASE
Kerala High Court has commuted the death sentence awarded to Anil Kumar, alias Kolusu Binu, of Vembayam in Thiruvananthapuram, the first accused in the 2016 Koliyoor murder case.
OCTOBER 20, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MINOR GIRL’S GANGRAPE AND MURDER
The Court of Special Judge (POCSO Act), Agra, on October 16, 2025, awarded death sentence to two accused for the kidnapping, gangrape and murder of a five-and-a-half-year-old minor girl last year.
- OCTOBER 15, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MADRAS HIGH COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE, SAYS ACCUSED NOT MENACE TO SOCIETY
Madras high court on October 11, 2025 commuted the death sentence awarded to a man to life imprisonment in a case where he murdered his cousin because she refused to give him money to settle his debts, in 2021.
OCTOBER 9, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SODOMY, MURDER OF 8- YR-OLD
Ghazipur district's Special Court (Pocso) Judge Ramavatar Prasad on October 7, 2025 sentenced accused Sanjay Nat to death for sodomising and murdering an eight-year-old in Feb last year.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE AND MURDER OF HIS SEVEN-YEAR-OLD NIECE IN UP'S SITAPUR
A court in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur on September 18, 2025 awarded the death penalty to a 38-year-old man for the rape and murder of his seven-year-old niece, a government lawyer said on September 19, adding that the court also imposed a fine of Rs 13,000 o
SEPTEMBER 23, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HIGH COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF FAKE HEALER TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
Calcutta High Court on September 18, 2025 commuted the death sentence of a 45-year-old man - convicted of murdering a woman and her daughter - to a life sentence, but directed no remission for 40 years.
- SEPTEMBER 18, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT, MURDER OF MINOR GIRL IN KARNATAKA
An additional district and sessions court-cum-fast track court in Mangaluru on September 10, 2025 convicted and sentenced a 51-year-old man to death after finding him guilty of raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl in Mangaluru.
- SEPTEMBER 11, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HC REDUCES DEATH SENTENCE TO LIFE, JUNKS RAPE CHARGE
The Calcutta High Court on September 1st, 2025, commuted the death penalty of a 42-year-old man convicted of the murder of a six-year-old at Uttarpara to life imprisonment
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 3 GET DEATH FOR KILLING RICKSHAW PULLER OVER WIFE’S ILLICIT AFFAIR; 2 GET LIFE, WOMAN ACQUITTED
A Dehradun court on August 22, 2025 awarded the death penalty to three men for murdering a rickshaw puller in Nov 2022 by forcing him to drink alcohol and smashing his head with a stone.
- SEPTEMBER 4, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: UP MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE, MURDER OF 8-YEAR-OLD DALIT GIRL
A special SC/ST court in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) on September 2, 2025 awarded the death penalty to a 50-year-old man for abducting, raping and murdering an eight-year-old Dalit girl in 2020, calling it a "rarest of rare case for its brutality".
SEPTEMBER 3, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH PENALTY FOR MAN WHO BURNT ALIVE WIFE OVER SKIN COLOUR
A court in India on August 30, 2025 gave the death penalty to a man for burning alive his wife over her skin colour.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ASSAM MAN, WHO KILLED WOMAN FOR REFUSING TO MARRY HIM, SENTENCED TO DEATH
A court in Assam's Dhemaji on August 21, 2025 sentenced a man to death for the brutal murder of a college student in 2021.