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
NOVEMBER 8, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC RECONFIRMS DEATH PENALTY FOR CONVICT
The Supreme Court on 7 November 2019 rejected a plea by one Manoharan — a convict in a double murder case involving a 10-year-old girl and her seven-year-old brother — seeking reconsideration of the top court verdict upholding his death sentence.
OCTOBER 31, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPIST & KILLER OF MINOR
The High Court of Uttarakhand has upheld the death penalty sentence awarded by a lower court to Akhtar Ali who was convicted of raping and murdering a minor at Kathgodam in 2014, the Daily Pioneer reported on 19 October 2019.
OCTOBER 25, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO CYANIDE MOHAN
Serial killer Cyanide Mohan, 56, on 24 October 2019 was awarded death sentence for the murder of an anganwadi assistant from Dakshina Kannada in Bengaluru.
OCTOBER 23, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BOMBAY HC CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE TO TRIO WHO RAPED, KILLED TEEN
The Bombay high court (HC) on 17 October 2019 confirmed death penalty for three men from Ahmednagar district who had raped a 16-year-old girl multiple times and tortured her to death in 2014.
- OCTOBER 16, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC ADMITS MISTAKE IN AWARDING DEATH SENTENCE, COMMUTES IT TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
More than eight years after awarding death penalty to a man for killing his wife and four kids including 10-month-old baby in Nanded district in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court has now found fault in its verdict for coming to the conclusion about the sever
OCTOBER 11, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: PRESIDENT COMMUTES 20 DEATH SENTENCES IN NINE YEARS
President Ram Nath Kovind commuted death sentences to life imprisonment in at least 20 cases over the past nine years, based on the recommendations received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), The Hindu reported on 4 October 2019.
OCTOBER 3, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MP MAN GIVEN DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING, KILLING GIRL
A court in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on 30 September 2019 sentenced a man to death for kidnapping, raping and killing a four-year-old girl.
OCTOBER 2, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO THREE FOR KILLING MINOR
Bokaro district court in the Indian state of Jharkhand on 26 September 2019 awarded death sentence to three persons for killing a minor in November 2013. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1.50 lakh on each of them.
OCTOBER 1, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BEANT SINGH ASSASSIN RAJOANA’S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED
The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, to life imprisonment.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR ABDUCTING KILLING TWO PEOPLE FOR RANSOM
A court in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, on 26 September 2019 awarded death sentence to a man in a double murder case.
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC UPHOLDS DEATH TO MAN FOR RAPING GIRL, KILLING BROTHER
The Supreme Court on 1° August 2019 upheld the death penalty of a Tamil Nadu man convicted of gang raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl and also killing her seven-year-old brother.
- SEPTEMBER 23, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: GIRIDIH COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO MAN FOR RAPING AND KILLING FOUR-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A special POCSO court in Giridih on 21 September 2019 awarded death sentence to a man for raping and killing a four-year-old girl while sentencing his father for life in the case.