India
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · The Indian legislative system also provides for different...
- News items in the archive
- 1,862
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
India is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 1,862 news items on India, from 1999 to today.
In India the death penalty applies to murder, terrorism and certain serious sexual offences, and the method is hanging. Case law restricts it to the cases it calls the rarest of the rare: many sentences are handed down, few executions are actually carried out, and a significant share of sentences is overturned or commuted on appeal.
The archive follows sentences, commutations, executions and legislative debates.
Latest news
JANUARY 31, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO FATHER WHO WAS GUILTY OF POISONING TWO CHILDREN
The Kundapur additional sessions court on 19 January 2019 awarded the death penalty for a father who was found guilty in the death of two children by poisoning them at Ganganadu near Byndoor.
JANUARY 25, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT ACQUITS THREE DEATH PENALTY CONVICTS, COMMUTES SENTENCE OF ONE
The Supreme Court on 23 January 2019 acquitted three persons who had been awarded death penalty in a murder case. The death sentence awarded to a fourth accused was commuted to life imprisonment.
- JANUARY 23, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: KERALA MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF WOMAN, DAUGHTER
The Thodupuzha second additional sessions judge KK Sujatha on 17 January 2019 awarded death penalty to Jomon, of Peruvelipparambil house, Kumily, who raped and killed a woman and her daughter at Vandiperiyar in Idukki 12 years ago.
- JANUARY 11, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC COMMUTES PUNE BUS ACCIDENT CONVICT'S DEATH PENALTY TO LIFE SENTENCE
The Supreme Court on 9 January 2019 commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded to bus driver Santosh Mane, convicted for killing nine people in 2012, by mowing them down in Pune.
- JANUARY 1, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty is provided for by the Penal Code and by Art. 21 of the Constitution
The death penalty is provided for by the Penal Code and by Art. 21 of the Constitution
- DECEMBER 31, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: BOMBAY HC UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY OF WOMAN TECHIE KILLER
The Bombay High Court on 20 December 2018 upheld a trial court verdict awarding the death penalty to a man convicted of raping and killing a 23-year-old woman techie from Andhra Pradesh in 2014, describing him as a "menace to the society".
DECEMBER 31, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: IN 2018 COURTS HANDED OUT MOST DEATH PENALTIES SINCE 2000
A legislative intervention to extend capital punishment to non-homicide crimes may be the reason for a higher number of death penalties handed out in 2018.
DECEMBER 20, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN AWARDED DEATH PENALTY FOR 'WAGING WAR AGAINST COUNTRY'
A district court on 15 December 2018 sentenced Sheikh Abdullah Nayeem alias Sk Samir, who had links with terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, to death for "waging war against the country".
DECEMBER 17, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC ABOLISHES SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR PRISONERS FACING DEATH PENALTY
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on 14 December 2018 abolished the practice adopted by the jail authorities in Punjab to segregate convicts immediately after the pronouncement of death sentence by the trial court and its confirmation by the High Court.
- DECEMBER 14, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC COMMUTES TO LIFE DEATH SENTENCE OF A MAN WHO KILLED SIX PEOPLE
The Supreme Court on 12 December 2018 commuted to life imprisonment the death penalty awarded to a man for hacking to death six members of a family in Kerala in 2001.
- DECEMBER 13, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF MAN WHO RAPED, KILLED 3-YR-OLD GIRL
The Supreme Court on 12 December 2018 commuted the death sentence awarded to a man for raping and murdering a three-year-old girl in 2007 and directed that he be not released from jail for the "rest of his normal life".
- DECEMBER 7, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING HIS SISTER
In a stern action against an Honor Killing case in Haryana, a court awarded death penalty to a man on 5 December 2018 who was guilty of murdering his sister.
- DECEMBER 7, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
1984 ANTI-SIKH RIOTS: 1ST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE CASE – YASHPAL SINGH GETS DEATH SENTENCE
A Delhi court on 19 November 2018 awarded death penalty to one of the accused in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. The conviction of Yashpal Singh came as first capital punishment in the case.
- DECEMBER 6, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF CHHATTISGARH MAN
The Supreme Court on 28 November 2018 commuted the death penalty imposed on a Chhattisgarh man convicted of killing three people and attempting to kill a fourth.
NOVEMBER 22, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 7 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING ONE NINE YEARS AGO IN UTTAR PRADESH
A sessions court in Muzaffarnagar on 20 November 2018 sentenced seven persons to death for killing a man nearly nine years ago at Harsoli in the district after a clash between two groups of people over an old dispute.
NOVEMBER 21, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: CONVICT IN ANTI-SIKH RIOTS CASE SENTENCED TO DEATH
A New Delhi court on 19 November 2018 handed down a rare death sentence over anti-Sikh riots in 1984 that left nearly 3,000 dead following the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi.
- NOVEMBER 21, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MADHYA PRADESH HC UPHOLDS MAN'S DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPING, KILLING MINOR
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on 15 November 2018 upheld the death sentence awarded to a 19-year-old man for raping and killing a four-year-old girl in Dhar district.
- NOVEMBER 19, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE
The Supreme Court on 14 November 2018 commuted death penalty imposed on a man accused of rape and murder of an eight year old girl in Rajasthan.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: IDUKKI MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING AND KILLING WOMAN, DAUGHTER
The High Court in Idukki on 30 October 2018 confirmed the death sentence awarded by Thodupuzha second additional sessions judge T U Kuruvila on June 20, 2012, to an Idukki native for brutally raping and murdering a mother and her daughter at Peermade in 2
- NOVEMBER 2, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH FOR RAPE, KILLING MINOR
In a major verdict Sessions Judge SK Tekam on 31 October 2018 awarded capital punishment, ‘Hang till Death’ to a man for rape and killing a four-year-old girl.
OCTOBER 30, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF RAPE CONVICT
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on 26 October 2018 commuted to rigorous imprisonment for 20 years the death sentence awarded to a rickshaw driver who was accused of penetrating a four-year-old girl with his finger after a five-day trial.
OCTOBER 9, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: CALCUTTA HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF SEVEN FOR WITCH-HUNTING 3 WOMEN
The Calcutta High Court has commuted to life the death sentence of seven men guilty of killing three women believing them to be witches, livelaw.in reported on 7 October 2018.
- OCTOBER 5, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE-MURDER OF MINOR GIRL
A court of Assam on October 4, 2018 awarded death penalty to a man for the rape and murder of a 13-year-old tribal girl.
OCTOBER 5, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 4 GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR TRIPLE MURDER IN AJMER
The special ST/SC court judge Brij Madhuri Sharma on October 4, 2018 pronounced hang till death sentence on four men accused in the sensational triple murder in 2011 in Ajmer
- OCTOBER 3, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED TO LIFE TERM
The Jaipur high court on September 27, 2018 commuted the death sentence of Prasandeep alias Panna, accused in the murder of a businessman Ghan Shyam Agarwal in Behror, to life term
- SEPTEMBER 28, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: TWO MAOISTS GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING SP
Two Maoist guerrillas involved in the killing of Pakur Superintendent of Police Amarjeet Balihar and five other policemen in Jharkhand in 2013 were awarded death sentence by a Dumka district court on September 26, 2018.
- SEPTEMBER 21, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPING 4-YR-OLD GIRL IN MP
A court in Satna (MP) on September 19, 2018 awarded death sentence to a contractual teacher for raping a four-year-old girl in this Madhya Pradesh district nearly three months ago
SEPTEMBER 21, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: TOP COURT PUTS DEATH SENTENCE OF MAN WHO RAPED, KILLED 4-YEAR-OLD ON HOLD
A 22-year-old man, who was sentenced to death for raping and murdering a four-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh, won't be executed till the Supreme Court decides on his appeal, ndtv reported on September 18, 2018.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: NIA COURT GIVES DEATH SENTENCE TO TWO PRO-BODOLAND MILITANTS
A special court of the National Investigation Agency in Guwahati gave the death penalty to two militants of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland and sentenced two others to life in connection with the murders of members of the tribal community in 201
- SEPTEMBER 14, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 3 GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER OF FOUR-YEAR-OLD SHIMLA BOY
In a historic judgment, the District and Sessions Court, Shimla on September 5, 2018 sentenced all three convicts, Chander Sharma, Tajender and Vikrant, to death in the sensational murder of four-year-old Yug.