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
- 1,863
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 1,863 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
OCTOBER 12, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HIGH COURT REDUCES ’CYANIDE’ MOHAN’S DEATH PENALTY TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
The Karnataka High Court reduced ’Cyanide’ Mohan Kumar’s death penalty to life imprisonment in the rape and murder case of one Anita of Kolimane, Bantwal taluk in 2009.
OCTOBER 9, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GUJARAT HC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY FOR 11 CONVICTS TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
The Gujarat high court commuted the death penalty awarded by a lower court to 11 convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case to life imprisonment.
- SEPTEMBER 18, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the President has commuted the death sentences of as Jitu Nainsingh Gehlot, to life imprisonment, against the recommendation of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
the President has commuted the death sentences of as Jitu Nainsingh Gehlot, to life imprisonment, against the recommendation of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
- SEPTEMBER 7, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
1993 MUMBAI BLASTS VERDICT: TAHIR MERCHANT, FEROZ KHAN AWARDED DEATH PENALTY, ABU SALEM GETS LIFE
Tahir Merchant and Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan, two of the accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, were awarded the death sentence by a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) Court in Mumbai.
AUGUST 29, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN GETS DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE, 3 KIDS
A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Lucknow awarded death sentence to a man for killing six persons, including his wife and three children.
JULY 7, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA IMPLEMENTS NEW ANTI-HIJACKING LAW THAT ENTAILS DEATH PENALTY
India's new anti-hijacking law that entails capital punishment for the perpetrators in case of death of any person, has come into force.
JUNE 29, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYDELAY IN EXECUTION OF DEATH ROW CONVICT IS DEHUMANISING: DELHI HC
Delay in the execution of a death row convict after his capital punishment has been confirmed by the highest judicial forum, torments the prisoner, has a dehumanising effect on him and violates the law, the Delhi High Court has said.
- JUNE 23, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: ORISSA HC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY TO 35 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT
Orissa high court provided relief to five persons, who were convicted in rape and murder of a minor girl in Keonjhar, by commuting death penalty of two of the convicts to 35 years of imprisonment and acquitting the remaining three.
JUNE 19, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: NASHIK MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN HONOUR KILLING CASE
In a landmark judgment related to "honour killing", the Nashik district sessions court sentenced a man to death for killing his pregnant daughter in 2013 because she had married outside their caste.
- JUNE 18, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: PRESIDENT MUKHERJEE REJECTS 2 MORE MERCY PETITIONS; TOTAL 30
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has rejected two more mercy petitions filed by the convicts awarded death punishment.
- JUNE 15, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DOUBLE MURDER
A court in Rae Bareli (UP) awarded death sentence to a man for murdering a middle-aged couple in 2010.
- JUNE 5, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: TWO GET CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR TRIPLE MURDER
The Namakkal Additional District Court awarded capital punishment to two persons in connection with a triple murder that took place in 2011.
MAY 25, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: FIVE MAOISTS SENTENCED TO DEATH BY MUNGER COURT IN BIHAR
A Munger court awarded death sentence to five Maoists after convicting them of murder of two CRPF jawans in an ambush during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.
- MAY 23, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN, SON GET DEATH SENTENCE IN DOUBLE MURDER CASE IN UP
A 60-year-old man and his son were sentenced to death in Uttar Pradesh for murdering two persons over a land dispute.
- MAY 9, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES FOR DELHI GANG RAPE
Four men convicted of a gang rape that shocked India and attracted worldwide attention will be executed.
- MAY 9, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: THREE ACCUSED SENTENCED TO DEATH IN NAYNA PUJARI CASE
A Pune special court sentenced three accused to death sentence in kidnapping, gangrape and murder of software engineer Nayna Pujari.
- APRIL 11, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 325 DEATH ROW CONVICTS IN THE COUNTRY TILL 2016
As many as 325 death row convicts are lodged in different jails across the country till 2016, the Lok Sabha was informed.
- MARCH 28, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: TWO GET CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN KIDNAP-CUM-MURDER CASE
Terming it as the rarest of the rare case, the judge Rajesh Bhardwaj pronounced the judgement and ordered that the accused Monu alias Chander Prakash and Nitu be hanged till death.
MARCH 22, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: LAW COMMISSION RECOMMENDS ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY, EXCEPT IN TERROR CASES
The Law Commission has recommended that the death penalty be abolished for all crimes except those related to terrorism, Rajya Sabha was informed.
MARCH 21, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING KERALA FAMILY
A 30-year-old migrant worker convicted of murdering his employer and his parents in Kerala’s Kottayam district has been handed the death sentence.
- MARCH 1, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA SENTENCED TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE TO DEATH IN 2016 THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR
Sessions courts handed down nearly twice as many death sentences in 2016 as compared to 2015,
- FEBRUARY 15, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER OF DALIT
27 years after a Dalit man was burnt alive by some upper caste men in Hathras, in the Indian state of Uttar
- FEBRUARY 10, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR RAPE AND MURDER IN MADHYA PRADESH
A court in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh awarded capital punishment to a man for raping a woman,
- JANUARY 21, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: BANGAON COURT GIVES DEATH SENTENCES TO 3 TERRORISTS
Three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operatives were sentenced to death by a Bengal court.
- JANUARY 19, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 3 YOUTHS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN HARYANA FOR GANGRAPE, MURDER OF 9-YEAR-OLD
Three youths were sentenced to death by a fast-track court in Haryana for the gang rape and killing of a
- JANUARY 15, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: PRESIDENT CONVERTS 4 TRIBALS’ DEATH SENTENCES TO LIFE TERMS
President Pranab Mukherjee has disposed of all mercy petitions of death penalties pending before him till
- JANUARY 10, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: DEATH SENTENCE TO COUPLE FOR MURDERING DALIT WOMAN
A sessions court in Tirunelveli has awarded death sentence to a couple for murdering a Dalit woman on
- JANUARY 1, 2017IndiaDEATH 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 22, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING AND MURDERING MINOR
A Sessions Court in Andhra Pradesh State sentenced a 30-year-old man to death for rape and murder of a three-year-old girl.
- DECEMBER 19, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: YASIN BHATKAL, 4 OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2013 HYDERABAD BLASTS
An NIA court sentenced to death banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal and four