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
- 1,856
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 1,856 news items on India, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- MARCH 31, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. MAN GETS DEATH FOR RAPING, KILLING 3-YR-OLD DAUGHTER
a New Delhi court sentenced to death 26-year-old Sheikh Noor Hussain for raping and killing his three-year-old daughter. Additional sessions judge S.K. Kaushik awarded capital punishment to Hussain for murder and also read out a life sentence, the maximum
- MARCH 31, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. SUPREME COURT STAYS DEATH SENTENCE AWARDED TO VARANASI GUIDE
India’s Supreme Court stayed a death sentence awarded to a guide for killing a female New Zealand tourist at Varanasi in 1997.
- MARCH 23, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. WOMAN AND HER LOVER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF HUSBAND
the Kollam Ad Hoc I Sessions Court in India’s Kerala state sentenced to death Binitha Kumari, 35, and her lover Raju, 38, for the murder of the Binitha’s husband Vidhukumaran Thampi on April 18, 2000.
- MARCH 15, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. THREE PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
the Fast Track Court in Roorkee, India, sentenced to death Amit, Dharmendra and Jitendra for the murder of two people, including a retired policeman, at their Shakti Vihar Colony residence on August 9, 2003.
- MARCH 9, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. COURT REJECTS 'SPY' PLEA
Pakistan's Supreme Court rejected a review appeal by Manjit Singh, an Indian on death row for spying. He had been convicted of spying and carrying out a series of bombings in 1990 which killed 14 people. His family said he was Sarabjit Singh - a farmer wh
- MARCH 3, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. CAPITAL SENTENCE UPHELD BY HIGH COURT
the Allahabad High Court, India, upheld the death sentence handed to Mulla and Guddu by the Sitapur Sessions Court on April 3, 2005 in connection with the case of five villagers held hostage for ransom who were executed due to non fulfilment of the killer
- FEBRUARY 27, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDER
an additional sessions court in Bhind in India’s Madhya Pradesh state, sentenced to death Vijay Singh for the murder of Anil Mahto and his son Madan Mahto.
- FEBRUARY 25, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. FIVE GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
the Etawah Court in Kanpur, India, sentenced to death five alleged members of underworld don Chhota Rajan’s gang in connection with a 2002 murder.
- FEBRUARY 23, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. GUJARAT HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPE AND MURDER OF MINOR
the Gujarat High Court in Ahmedabad, India, upheld a lower court judgement sentencing Ramesh Rathod, 31, to death for kidnapping, raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl in Surat city in 1999.
- FEBRUARY 20, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. HIGH COURT AWARDS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR RAPE
the Guwahati High court, India, confirmed the death sentence, awarded to Mithu Kalita, for murdering and raping a minor girl in Morigaon.
- FEBRUARY 17, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. SUPREME COURT STAYS DEATH SENTENCE OF SWAMI SHRADHANANDA
India’s Supreme Court stayed the death sentence of Swami Shradhananda, convicted of murdering his wife Begum Shakereh Namazi, a member of the royal family of Mysore.
- FEBRUARY 6, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. KERALA HIGH COURT COMMUTES SENTENCE OF DEATH INTO LIFE
the Kerala High Court, India, commuted into life the death sentence of Vadasseril Raju handed down by the Thalassery Sessions Court for rape and murder.
- FEBRUARY 6, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. SUPREME COURT REJECTS CURATIVE PETITION
a “curative petition” filed by S. S. Lakra, on death row for killing a retired brigadier and two members of his family, was dismissed by the Indian Supreme Court.
- FEBRUARY 3, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. DEATH SENTENCE CONFIRMED FOR RAPE AND MURDER
the Karnataka High Court, India, confirmed the death sentence handed down by the Sessions Court of Bagalkot district to Bandhu
- JANUARY 31, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF FIVE
the district and sessions judge of Sahebganj, India, sentenced Matku Marandi to death after finding him guilty of killing five people on January 11, 2003 in Hatmari village, Barhet.
- JANUARY 30, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. TWO PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE AND MURDER OF GIRL
an Additional Sessions court in Chatra, India, sentenced Charku Bhuiyan and Dhaneswar Bhuiyan to death
- JANUARY 25, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. ORISSA HIGH COURT ORDERS RETRIAL IN DEATH PENALTY CASE
the Orissa High Court, India, quashed the death sentence awarded to Khageswar Behera
- JANUARY 25, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. ORISSA HIGH COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE IN PURI MURDER CASE
the Orissa High Court, India, commuted into life imprisonment the death sentence handed down to Kiran Bedi
- JANUARY 19, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Allahyar Mohammed Ali and Akmal were sentenced to death for murder during a house robbery by the 1st Additional Sessions Court in Hyderabad, India.
- JANUARY 18, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. DEATH PENALTY ONLY IN RAREST OF RARE CASES, SUPREME COURT
the death penalty should be awarded in only the rarest of rare cases, India’s Supreme Court said, while asking the judiciary to consider aggravating and mitigating circumstances in awarding the extreme sentence.
- JANUARY 17, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. PUNJAB RIGHTS FORUM CALLS FOR MORATORIUM ON DEATH PENALTY
the Punjab Rights Forum (PRF) appealed to President Abdul Kalam to implement a moratorium on the death penalty in India.
- JANUARY 13, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. POLICEMAN AWARDED CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN CUSTODIAL DEATH IN BIHAR
a court in Bihar, India, sentenced a Home Guard to death and sentenced three others to life in connection with a custodial death on November 17, 1996.
- JANUARY 12, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. DEATH PENALTY FOR MAN WHO RAPED AND STRANGLED 11-YR-OLD GIRL
the Sewri Fast Track Court, Mumbai , India, sentenced 35-year-old Arjun Jogadiya to be hanged till death for raping and murdering his 11-year-old neighbour in 2004.
- JANUARY 9, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. ACHUTHANANDAN'S STAND ON DEATH SENTENCE LAUDED
India’s Anti death Penalty League lauded Opposition leader V.S. Achuthanandan's demand to adopt a resolution against capital punishment in the next Assembly session.
- JANUARY 1, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty is provided for by the Penal Code and by Art. 21 of the Constitution which states
The death penalty is provided for by the Penal Code and by Art. 21 of the Constitution which states
- DECEMBER 31, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING DAUGHTERS
Salim Sheikh, a father who killed all his five daughters by throwing them into the Narmada river in Bharuch, India, was sentenced to death by a fast track court in Bharuch.
- DECEMBER 29, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. BOMBAY HIGH COURT SENTENCES DOCTOR TO DEATH FOR MURDER
the Mumbai High Court, India, sentenced a doctor to death for murdering two people after falsely promising to help them emigrate to the United States.
- DECEMBER 19, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. KILLER OF 5-YEAR-OLD GETS DEATH PENALTY
the second additional district and sessions court in Jamshedpur, India, sentenced Tara Sardar to death for sacrificing a five-year-old boy to “appease” God.
- DECEMBER 13, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. 23 YEAR OLD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF NIECE
Nigel Fernandez, 23, was sentenced to death and his twin brother, Truver Fernandez, given life imprisonment by a sessions court in Thiruvananthapuram, India, after being found guilty of murdering their 17-year-old niece.
- DECEMBER 11, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. COMMITTEE URGES IMMEDIATE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
the Committee to Oppose the Death Penalty in Pondicherry, India, urged the Central Government to take immediate steps to put an end to capital punishment in the country.