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
- APRIL 20, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: KIDNAPPERS CAN BE SENTENCED TO DEATH: SC
the Indian Supreme Court held that a person can be sentenced to death or life imprisonment for kidnapping another person to extract ransom even if the accused had not caused any hurt to the victim.
- APRIL 8, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HC REDUCES MAN'S DEATH SENTENCE IN DOUBLE MURDER CASE
the Delhi High Court in India reduced the death sentence of a man convicted of killing two cousins over a business dispute. A Division Bench of Justices B D Ahmed and P K Bhasin commuted the sentence passed on Raminder Singh, alias Happy.
- APRIL 3, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR KILLING WIFE, DAUGHTER
in India, a Kottayam district judge sentenced Shanu, alias Shanavas, 32, of Paippad, to death for murdering his wife, Sareena, alias Lovely, 26, and daughter Ameesha
- APRIL 2, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: INDIAN ON CHINESE DEATH ROW GETS REPRIEVE
an Indian man found guilty in China of possessing narcotics had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
- APRIL 1, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 3 GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER
in India, Magistrate Shrikanth Babuladi of the Kodagu District and Sessions Court sentenced three men to death a murder committed on February 7, 2002.
- APRIL 1, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER ACCUSED
at a district court in India, Fast track court session judge K Natarajan sentenced a man identified as Mohamed, a resident of Birur, to death for raping and strangling an education department employee.
- MARCH 31, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 2 GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER
two people were sentenced to death by Mahadevagowda, the First Fast Track Court judge in Hassan, India, for the murder of five people in Valagarahalli village of Alur taluk on January 26, 2002.
- MARCH 26, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HIGH COURT CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPE OF 3-YR-OLD
the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court in India confirmed the death sentence of Rajendra Wasnik, 28, for the rape and murder of a three year old girl.
- MARCH 24, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: FEMALE SERIAL KILLER 'CYANIDE MALLIKA' GETS DEATH SENTENCE
female serial killer "Cyanide Mallika," charged with murdering five elderly women over the last eight years for gain, was awarded the death sentence by a Fast Track Court in Tumkur, India.
- MARCH 23, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HC FREES DOC ON DEATH ROW FOR MURDER
a doctor sentenced to death in India for murdering a fellow doctor was acquitted of all charges by the Bombay High Court after spending six months on death row.
- MARCH 17, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH FOR BEHEADING STUDENT
a religious teacher was awarded the death sentence by the Vadodara District Sessions Court in India for beheading his 15-year-old student on December 17, 2007.
- MARCH 2, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING WIFE, DAUGHTER
a local court in Allahbad, India, awarded the death penalty to a man found guilty for murdering his wife and five-year-old daughter.