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
NOVEMBER 22, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYKASAB'S LAST WORDS: ‘PLEASE FORGIVE ME, WILL NEVER REPEAT SUCH A MISTAKE’
Ajmal Kasab, one of the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai in India on November 26, 2008
- NOVEMBER 21, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MUMBAI ATTACKER HANGED IN GREAT SECRECY IN THE FIRST EXECUTION SINCE 2004
India executed a Pakistan national, Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone survivor of a militant squad
NOVEMBER 21, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT FOR 'FRESH LOOK' ON CRITERION FOR AWARDING DEATH PENALTY
In India, the Supreme Court has said its Constitution bench's landmark judgement of 1980
- NOVEMBER 19, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a youth who raped and murdered a minor in 2007 has escaped the gallows
a youth who raped and murdered a minor in 2007 has escaped the gallows
- NOVEMBER 1, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Judge of the Mahila Court M.P. Subramanian, in India...
Judge of the Mahila Court M.P. Subramanian, in India...
OCTOBER 8, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ODISHA COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO RAPIST, 36 DAYS AFTER CRIME
In India, a court in Sambalpur district (Odisha State) handed over death
OCTOBER 5, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH PENALTY TO 5 OF A FAMILY
In India, a Delhi Court awarded death sentence to five members of a family convicted earlier
OCTOBER 1, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 3 SENTENCED TO GALLOWS FOR HUMAN SACRIFICE
Three persons were awarded death sentence by a court in Uttar Pradesh, India, for killing a
- SEPTEMBER 18, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HOSHIARPUR MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR BURNING HIS SONS
In India, a court pronounced capital punishment upon Jasvir Singh (37) of Kallowal village
SEPTEMBER 14, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: EXECUTION OF DEATH SENTENCE AWARDED TO TWO MURDER CONVICTS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 5
According to media reports two convicts in a murder case are scheduled to be hanged at 9 am on
- SEPTEMBER 11, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a spurned lover and engineering student
a spurned lover and engineering student
SEPTEMBER 5, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH SENTENCE OF INSURGENT UPHELD
In India, Agartala bench of Gauhati High Court upheld the verdict of Additional and
- SEPTEMBER 4, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a Delhi court, in India, awarded death sentence
a Delhi court, in India, awarded death sentence
- AUGUST 29, 2012PakistanDEATH PENALTY
India's Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for Mohammad
India's Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for Mohammad
- AUGUST 21, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment for a juvenile offender - that's inconceivable in law.
Capital punishment for a juvenile offender - that's inconceivable in law.
- AUGUST 15, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a Parliamentary committee has recommended reviewing...
a Parliamentary committee has recommended reviewing...
- JULY 30, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Federal Court in Malaysia...
the Federal Court in Malaysia...
- JULY 30, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SEVEN AWARDED DEATH IN HONOUR KILLING CASE
In Uttar Predesh (India) a court sentenced seven persons to gallows for killing a
- JULY 25, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF THREE YOUTHS TO LIFE
In India, Madhya Pradesh High Court commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence
JULY 22, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: OUTGOING PRESIDENT PRATIBHA PATIL LEAVES MERCY PETITIONS OF 16 CONVICTS FOR NEW PRESIDENT
Pranab Mukherjee, a veteran from the ruling Congress party, was elected by national
JULY 15, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: JUVENILE OFFENDER, NOW 43, ORDERED TO BE SET FREE
A 43-year-old man, who has been in jail in India for the past 13 years in a murder case, has
- JULY 10, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN, PARAMOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH
A man and his paramour were awarded capital punishment by the District and Sessions court
JULY 3, 2012MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN IN RETRIAL
An Indian national from Chennai was sentenced to death by hanging in Malaysia after he
JUNE 27, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: CLEMENCY FOR 3 DEATH ROW INMATES
President Pratibha Patil commuted the death sentences of three prisoners lodged in
JUNE 26, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: LAW AND JUSTICE MINISTER FAVOURS ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
Indian Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid said that though there was no collective
- JUNE 26, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF MAN WHO KILLED PREGNANT WIFE
The Bombay High Court set aside the death sentence awarded by a Kolhapur trial court
- JUNE 25, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: PRESIDENT PRATIBHA PATIL DEFENDS RECORD DEATH ROW PARDONS
India's outgoing president has defended herself against media criticism that she went on a "mercy
- JUNE 13, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
MDMK leader Vaiko urged for the intervention of Prime Minister...
MDMK leader Vaiko urged for the intervention of Prime Minister...
- JUNE 11, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Chandrashekhar Shriram Atram was sentenced to death by a sessions court...
Chandrashekhar Shriram Atram was sentenced to death by a sessions court...
- JUNE 4, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: PRESIDENT PATIL COMMUTES 30 DEATH SENTENCES TO LIFE
in the last days of her presidency, President Pratibha Patil commuted 30 death sentence