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
- AUGUST 22, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the High Court in Chhattisgarh, India...
the High Court in Chhattisgarh, India...
- AUGUST 20, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIANS ON DEATH ROW SEEK PARDON
two Indian nationals sentenced to death on drug smuggling charges in Saudi Arabia appealed to King Abdullah for clemency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
- AUGUST 18, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: DEATH SENTENCES FOR SIX IN PATNA FOR KIDNAPPING
ADJ Ram Pravesh Sharma, at a fast track court in Patna, India, awarded capital punishment to six people for kidnapping and murdering a 13 year old schoolboy.
- AUGUST 10, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Supreme Court in India severely castigated the Allahabad High Court..
the Supreme Court in India severely castigated the Allahabad High Court...
- AUGUST 10, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Indian Supreme Court commuted Kulwinder Singh’s death sentence to life imprisonment.
the Indian Supreme Court commuted Kulwinder Singh’s death sentence to life imprisonment.
- AUGUST 6, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: FTC AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER OF 13 WOMEN
Judge M Pugazhendhi of the Fast Track Court in Virudhachalam...
- AUGUST 4, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: FOUR SIBLINGS AMONG FIVE AWARDED DEATH FOR TRIPLE MURDER
four siblings were among the five people sentenced to death by a court in Meerut, India for murdering three people over a land dispute four years ago.
- AUGUST 2, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: CLERIC GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING WIFE
a former cleric has been sentenced to death by a West Bengal court in India for killing his pregnant wife in 2005.
- AUGUST 1, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
IHRO OPPOSES DEATH SENTENCE TO BEANT KILLERS
the International Human Rights Organisation (IHRO) expressed its opposition to the death sentences issued by a Chandigarh court, India, to Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh in the Beant Singh murder case as every execution violates the fundamental hum
- JULY 31, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. DEATH SENTENCE FOR TWO IN BEANT SINGH ASSASSINATION CASE
Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh, two of the six convicts in the assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, were sentenced to death in India.
- JULY 27, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: '93 MUMBAI BLASTS: DEATH FOR YAKUB MEMON
Yakub Memon, the chartered accountant brother of prime accused Tiger Memon, was sentenced to death by the special TADA court hearing in India’s 1993 serial blasts case.
- JULY 26, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: YOUTH SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR GIRL’S MURDER
the VI Additional District Judge P Sridhar Rao sentenced C. Kishore to death for murder.
- JULY 25, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 1993 BLASTS: ONE GETS DEATH SENTENCE
Farooq Pawle was sentenced to death by Special TADA judge P D Kode for planting vehicle bombs near the Air India building and Sena Bhavan during the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai, India.
JULY 25, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA. ’93 BLASTS: 3 MORE GET DEATH PENALTY
in the 1993 Mumbai bombings case in India, the special TADA
JULY 21, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA. ANOTHER DEATH SENTENCE IN MUMBAI BLASTS CASE
the sentencing in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case in India continued.
- JULY 19, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. DEATH TO 3 MORE IN 1993 MUMBAI BLASTS CASE
three men were given death sentences by a special Tada court in India for the 1993 Mumbai bombings...
- JULY 19, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. PROPOSAL- DEATH FOR COERCING KIDS INTO ILLEGAL ACTS
troubled by atrocities against children that are increasing rapidly, the
- JULY 17, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. THREE DEATH SENTENCES FOR 1993 MUMBAI BLAST
Justice Pramod Kode handed the death sentence to Parvez Shaikh, Mushtaq
- JULY 12, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SAUDI ARABIA
Sheik Mastaan, alias Mohammed Salim, was sentenced to death by the Sharia court of Dammam in Saudi Arabia for allegedly transporting narcotic drugs.
- JULY 2, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIAN ARMY TROOPER GETS DEATH PENALTY
in occupied Kashmir, India, an Army Summary Court Martial sentenced a soldier...
- JUNE 30, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING WIFE
Additional District and Sessions Judge Anandarup Jaydeep Sharma sentenced Rama Swami to death for killing his wife Suryakanti in April 2006.
- JUNE 30, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: DEATH PENALTY FOR TWO IN MURDER CASE
the third and fourth accused in the Praveen murder case were sentenced to death...
- JUNE 27, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
two Indians, Mandeem Fali e Mansheen Yedi
two Indians, Mandeem Fali e Mansheen Yedi
- JUNE 25, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SRI LANKAN GETS DEATH FOR MURDER
the Tiruvannamalai district sessions court in India awarded the death penalty to R Rajan...
- JUNE 16, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
GOA COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDER OF DOCTOR
in Goa, India, Session Judge Nutan Sardesai awarded the death penalty to Ryan Fernandes, who was convicted of murdering his father-in-law Dr Shrikant Verenkar.
- JUNE 15, 2007Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
THREE FOREIGNERS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SAUDI ARABIA
media reported that two Sri Lankans and an Indian were convicted...
- JUNE 7, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: TWO GET CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN BIHAR
a local court in Aurangabad, India, awarded the death sentence to two people and life imprisonment to two others in connection with the abduction and killing of a six year old boy.
- JUNE 5, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KIDNAPPING
a court here has awarded death sentence to two persons in connection with kidnapping of two farmers.
- JUNE 1, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA JYOTI ARORA CASE: 2 GET DEATH SENTENCE
the son of a Delhi Police sub-inspector and a constable were sentenced to death by a local court in India for killing a pregnant girl two years ago.
- MAY 29, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE IN JHARKHAND
a court in Jharkhand, India, awarded the death penalty to a man convicted of killing five members of a family in the Bokaro district in 2002.