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 10, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING PREGNANT WIFE
Mahila Sessions Court Judge G. Prathibha Devi on 8 April 2021 awarded the death penalty to Bathula Nambiar alias Sujith, who killed his wife, Sailaja (29) by setting her ablaze.
APRIL 3, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: UP MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A special POCSO court in Firozabad (UP) on 1 April 2021 sentenced a man to death for raping a 10-year-old girl in December 2020, disposing of the case in a “record” three and a half months.
- MARCH 29, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: FOUR GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR HONOUR KILLING IN JHARKHAND
The district court in Jharkhand’s Koderma on 25 March 2021 awarded death sentence to four people convicted in an honour-killing case. The four convicts include the victim’s parents and her uncle and aunt.
MARCH 23, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE IMPOSED ON YOUNGSTER CONVICTED FOR MURDERING NEIGHBOUR
The Madras High Court on 17 March 2021 commuted from death to life sentence the punishment imposed by a trial court on an unemployed youngster convicted for murdering his 54-year-old woman neighbour in a residential complex.
MARCH 20, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH 26 DAYS AFTER RAPING 5-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A special POCSO court in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district on 17 March 2021 awarded death penalty to a man for raping a 5-year-old girl 26 days ago and appreciated the swift action by the police in the case.
MARCH 17, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ARIZ KHAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF INSPECTOR MOHAN CHAND SHARMA
A Delhi court on 15 March 2021 awarded the death penalty to convict Ariz Khan for the murder of inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in the 2008 Batla House encounter case.
MARCH 11, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MIGRANT WORKER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2018 RAPE & MURDER CASE IN KERALA
A migrant worker from Assam on 8 March 2021 was sentenced to death in Kerala by the District and Sessions Court for raping and murdering a 60-year-old woman at Puthenvelikkara in 2018.
MARCH 9, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: UTTARAKHAND MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR SODOMISING AND MURDERING 5-YEAR OLD
A Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) court of Uttarakhand on 6 March 2021 awarded death penalty to a man for sodomising and murdering a 5-year-old child in US Nagar. His parents were also sent to prison for concealing the crime, said an o
MARCH 6, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BIHAR COURT SENTENCES 9 TO DEATH IN HOOCH TRAGEDY CASE
Nine persons were sentenced to death and four women to life imprisonment in Bihar by Gopalganj Additional District Judge-2 Luv Kush Kumar on 5 March 2021 after they were convicted in the Khajurbanni locality hooch tragedy.
FEBRUARY 25, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HIGH COURT ACQUITS MAN FROM DEATH SENTENCE, ORDERS PROBE AGAINST INVESTIGATING TEAM
The Bombay High Court while acquitting a man from a death sentence for raping and killing a minor girl, on 25 February 2021 ordered a probe against the investigating team for misplacing a vital piece of evidence.
FEBRUARY 24, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: UP COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO ACCUSED IN RAPE AND MURDER CASE OF MINOR GIRL
The Additional District Judge (ADJ) of Hardoi, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on 22 February 2021 awarded death sentence to an accused for rape and murder of a one-and-half year old minor girl.
- FEBRUARY 22, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: ‘PRESIDENT UNCLE, PLEASE FORGIVE MY MOTHER’, DEATH ROW CONVICT SHABNAM'S SON SEEKS MERCY
The son of a death row convict in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha on 18 February 2021 appealed to President Ram Nath Kovind to commute her death sentence.