India 2025
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
News on India in 2025
DECEMBER 22, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH SENTENCE OF MAN WHO BEHEADED BROTHER COMMUTED TO 20-YEAR JAIL TERM
Making it clear that not every brutal murder warrants capital punishment, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 22, 2025 commuted the death sentence of Ashok Kumar
DECEMBER 20, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: WOMAN AMONG FIVE AWARDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR KURUKSHETRA DOCTOR’S MURDER
Two years after a doctor was killed in Haryana by robbers who had barged into her Kurukshetra residence, the court of additional district and sessions judge on December 20, 2025 sentenced four men and a woman to death in the case.
- DECEMBER 10, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 42-YEAR-OLD MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE, MURDER OF SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN VALSAD
A court in Vapi town of Valsad, in the State of Gujarat, on December 4, 2025 sentenced 42-year-old man to death for the brutal rape, sodomy, and murder of a six-year-old girl.
NOVEMBER 26, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING PREGNANT WOMAN IN KERALA'S ALAPPUZHA
A court in Alappuzha on September 24, 2025 sentenced a man to death for murdering a pregnant woman at Kainakary in the district.
NOVEMBER 12, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: NITHARI KILLINGS ACCUSED TO WALK FREE AS SUPREME COURT ACQUITS HIM IN LAST CASE
The Supreme Court on November 11, 2025 set aside the conviction and life sentence of Surendra Koli in the last remaining murder case related to the infamous 2005-2006 Nithari killings in Noida, which drew widespread media attention and was the subject of
- NOVEMBER 2, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: ANDHRA COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO 5 IN 2015 MURDER OF CHITTOOR MAYOR, HER HUSBAND
Five persons accused of murdering Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband Mohan were sentenced to death by a sessions court in Andhra Pradesh on October 31, 2025.
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 PENALTY
INDIA: 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 PENALTY
INDIA: 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 PENALTY
INDIA: 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.
JULY 28, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES RAPIST'S DEATH PENALTY TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT REMISSION
The Supreme Court of India on July 16, 2025 commuted a man's death penalty in a minor's rape and murder case to life in prison without remission.
JULY 23, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HIGH COURT ACQUITS 12 MEN IN MUMBAI TRAIN BOMBINGS THAT KILLED 187
A court in India has acquitted 12 men who had been convicted in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed 187 people and injured more than 800.
- JULY 17, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC ACQUITS MAN ON DEATH ROW, ISSUES NATIONWIDE GUIDELINES ON DNA EVIDENCE HANDLING
The Supreme Court of India on July 15, 2025 acquitted a man on death row in a murder case, outlining the gaps in forensic evidence and issued countrywide directions on handling of DNA samples.
JULY 7, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING SIX MEMBERS OF A FAMILY
The IV additional district and sessions court in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) on June 27, 2025 sentenced 50-year-old Battina Appalaraju to death for killing six members of a family, including two children, in a revenge killing in April 2021.
JUNE 25, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF 11-YEAR OLD GIRL
A special Pocso court in Jalpaiguri sentenced 31-year old Haripada Roy to death for the rape and murder of an 11-year old girl, categorising it as a "rarest of rare" case, Times of India reported on June 11, 2025.
JUNE 12, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: KOLKATA HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF EX WHO STABBED GIRL 45 TIMES
Calcutta High Court on June 11, 2025 commuted the death penalty awarded to a 24-year-old, for stabbing his ex-girlfriend 45 times, to life imprisonment without remission for 40 years.
- JUNE 4, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 2 MEN GET DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING MINOR SISTERS
A special SC/ST court in Hathras (Uttar Pradesh) has sentenced two men in their 30s to death for murdering two minor sisters in their sleep and attempting to kill their parents over a property dispute, Times of India reported on May 30, 2025.
JUNE 3, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF 8-YR-OLD GIRL
A special court in Madhubani (Bihar) on May 31, 2025 sentenced two men, Sushil Rai and Om Prakash Jha, to death for the gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old dalit girl.
- MAY 28, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE IN CHILD MURDER CASE
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has commuted the death sentence of a man convicted of abducting and murdering his six-year-old nephew, instead sentencing him to life imprisonment until his last breath.
- MAY 20, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT FREES MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN 2013 RAPE-MURDER CASE
The Supreme Court of India has acquitted a man accused of raping and murdering a child in 2013 in Maharashtra’s Thane, citing the probe agency’s “shabby investigation” and the “overzealous” approach of the court that sentenced him, First Post reported on
MAY 12, 2025IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GET THEM LEGAL ASSISTANCE, SAYS HC ON 3 INDIANS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN INDONESIA
The Delhi high court on May 2, 2025 directed the Indian Consulate in Indonesia to take urgent steps to ensure proper legal representation and assistance for three Indian nationals sentenced to death by an Indonesian court.
MAY 6, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GUJARAT COURT HANDS DOWN 'DOUBLE DEATH SENTENCE' TO MAN FOR RAPE AND MURDER OF 7-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A sessions court in Gujarat on April 25, 2025 sentenced a man, 30, to a double death penalty in the case of raping and strangulating a 7-year-old girl to death in October 2019 in a village in Anand.