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
FEBRUARY 18, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAJIV GANDHI KILLERS
India's Supreme Court commuted the death sentence for three killers of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, citing delays in the case 23 years after he was assassinated by Tamil separatists.
FEBRUARY 14, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYDEVINDER PAL SINGH BHULLAR'S DEATH SENTENCE SHOULD BE COMMUTED TO LIFE TERM, DELHI GOVERNMENT TELLS SUPREME COURT
In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court today, Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has said that 1993
- FEBRUARY 13, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
February 13, 2014: Chandrakant Ahire, a 35-year-old man, was sentenced to death by the Vasai sessions
February 13, 2014: Chandrakant Ahire, a 35-year-old man, was sentenced to death by the Vasai sessions
FEBRUARY 7, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: FOUR MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN NEW DELHI GANG-RAPE CASE
Four men were sentenced to death by an Indian court for the gang-rape and murder of a young New Delhi
- FEBRUARY 3, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was pleased to learn of the judgement of the Supreme Court of India
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was pleased to learn of the judgement of the Supreme Court of India
- FEBRUARY 3, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: OCCULTIST GETS DEATH FOR BEHEADING BABY
A court in Bankura district (West Bengal) sentenced to death an occultist, who beheaded a baby and drank
- JANUARY 30, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
India - Deen Dayal Tiwari sentenced to death
India - Deen Dayal Tiwari sentenced to death
JANUARY 30, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: INDIAN WORKER BEHEADED FOR MURDER
An Indian worker convicted of murdering a Saudi was beheaded by the sword in the Riyadh region, the
- JANUARY 21, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF 15 CONVICTS DUE TO DELAY, MENTAL ILLNESS
In a landmark and significant judgement, the Supreme Court commuted death penalty of 15 convicts on the
- JANUARY 1, 2014IndiaDEATH 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, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MINOR’S RAPE, MURDER
A fast track court in Jammu and Kashmir, India, awarded the death penalty to an accused charged
- DECEMBER 12, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
India - A Ferozepur court sentenced a man to death for killing a seven-year-old boy
India - A Ferozepur court sentenced a man to death for killing a seven-year-old boy
- NOVEMBER 22, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a 23-year-old youth has been sentenced to death penalty
a 23-year-old youth has been sentenced to death penalty
NOVEMBER 18, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 2 SIRSA MEN GET DEATH FOR MINOR’S RAPE, MURDER
In India, a Sirsa court has sentenced two youths to death for rape and murder of a six-year-old
- NOVEMBER 5, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Supreme Court has ruled that courts should record “special reasons” while awarding death penalty and
the Supreme Court has ruled that courts should record “special reasons” while awarding death penalty and
- OCTOBER 31, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
an Indian court on awarded capital punishment to a 26-year-old man
an Indian court on awarded capital punishment to a 26-year-old man
OCTOBER 22, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 414 DEATH ROW CONVICTS AWAIT GALLOWS
The Asian Centre for Human Right (ACHR) in its report, “Mercy on Trial in India” stated that India had a total of 414 death row convicts at the end of 2012.
- OCTOBER 22, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 38-YEAR OLD GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR BRUTAL MURDER OF NRI
A 38-year old man was sentenced to death by a court in India for murdering an NRI (non-resident
OCTOBER 19, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE, MURDER OF 9-YR-OLD
A court in Bihar, India, awarded death sentence to a man for raping and murdering a minor
OCTOBER 8, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC COMMUTES SHARMA'S DEATH PENALTY
In India, the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of former Congress leader Sushil Sharma to life imprisonment in connection with the 1995 tandoor murder case.
- OCTOBER 1, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a district court in Narsinghpur in Madhya Pradesh
a district court in Narsinghpur in Madhya Pradesh
SEPTEMBER 18, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COURT GIVES DEATH TO MAN WHO STRIPPED, MURDERED PARENTS
Om Prakash, 25, who stripped his aged parents before killing them, was convicted and sentenced
- SEPTEMBER 13, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: THREE GET DEATH SENTENCE IN SENDHWA BUS FIRE CASE
A court in Barwani, India, handed down death sentence to three staffers of a bus and life imprisonment
- SEPTEMBER 13, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: JAMMU AND KASHMIR HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF GUNMAN
Jammu and Kashmir High Court upheld the death sentence of a counter-insurgent gunman
SEPTEMBER 13, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 4 MEN GIVEN DEATH SENTENCES IN GANG RAPE
A judge sentenced to death the four men convicted in the December gang rape and murder of a young New Delhi woman, ordering them to the gallows for a brutal attack on a bus that left the young woman with such severe internal injuries that she died two wee
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
FOUR GUILTY OF BUS GANG RAPE THAT SICKENED INDIA
An Indian court convicted four men of the gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy student
- SEPTEMBER 4, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Odisha High Court, in India, commuted the death penalty
the Odisha High Court, in India, commuted the death penalty
- SEPTEMBER 4, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO 3 IN TRIPLE MURDER CASE
Three men have been awarded death penalty by a Delhi court for brutally murdering three
- AUGUST 31, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
one person was sentenced to death
one person was sentenced to death
- AUGUST 26, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a man was sentenced to death by an Indian local court
a man was sentenced to death by an Indian local court