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
- DECEMBER 31, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING DAUGHTERS
Salim Sheikh, a father who killed all his five daughters by throwing them into the Narmada river in Bharuch, India, was sentenced to death by a fast track court in Bharuch.
- DECEMBER 29, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. BOMBAY HIGH COURT SENTENCES DOCTOR TO DEATH FOR MURDER
the Mumbai High Court, India, sentenced a doctor to death for murdering two people after falsely promising to help them emigrate to the United States.
- DECEMBER 19, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. KILLER OF 5-YEAR-OLD GETS DEATH PENALTY
the second additional district and sessions court in Jamshedpur, India, sentenced Tara Sardar to death for sacrificing a five-year-old boy to “appease” God.
- DECEMBER 13, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. 23 YEAR OLD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF NIECE
Nigel Fernandez, 23, was sentenced to death and his twin brother, Truver Fernandez, given life imprisonment by a sessions court in Thiruvananthapuram, India, after being found guilty of murdering their 17-year-old niece.
- DECEMBER 11, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. COMMITTEE URGES IMMEDIATE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
the Committee to Oppose the Death Penalty in Pondicherry, India, urged the Central Government to take immediate steps to put an end to capital punishment in the country.
- DECEMBER 8, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. GOVERNMENT: NO DEATH PENALTY TO ABU SALEM
the Indian Government declared that extradited underworld don Abu Salem would not be punished with the death penalty or with a prison term exceeding 25 years, as per the guarantee given to the Portuguese Government prior to extradition.
- DECEMBER 7, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. FTC AWARDS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT TO MAN IN MURDER CASE
a Fast Track Court in Davangere in India’s Karnataka state, sentenced to death Prakash Yadhav, 35, on charges relating to the murder of a two-year-old girl.
- NOVEMBER 23, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO LABOURER FOR MURDERING OLD COUPLE
a Sessions Court in Goa, India, sentenced to death Sarvanand Gaoncar after finding him guilty of murdering an elderly couple.
- NOVEMBER 16, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. FOUR PEOPLE HAVE DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED
a division bench of the Kerala High Court, India, commuted into life imprisonment the death penalties of four people accused in the Panniyannur Chandran murder case in 1996.
- NOVEMBER 11, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
India. India will not execute Abu Salem, CBI chief
India agreed not to execute Abu Salem before Portugal extradited him, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Misra said.
- NOVEMBER 10, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. DEATH PENALTY FOR MILITANT
tribal militant Ashok Debbarma alias Achak was sentenced to death by the West Tripura Additional District and Sessions Court, India, for killing 15 Bengalis in Tripura in 1997.
- NOVEMBER 8, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPE, MURDER UPHELD
the Karnataka High Court, India, upheld a lower court order sentencing to death Shiva and Jadeswamy, two villagers from Kollegal, Chamarajnagar district, for raping and murdering an 18-year-old girl. The court had on October 27 upheld a ruling by the Ch