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 15, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRIPLE MURDER
a fast track court in Surat, India, sentenced Baghvan Behra to be hanged till death for the murder of his sister-in-law, his neighbour and his nephew on September 10, 2002 in Tulsinagar, Surat city.
- FEBRUARY 10, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
India's Supreme Court ordered the death sentence for a man
India's Supreme Court ordered the death sentence for a man
- FEBRUARY 7, 2005BrazilDEATH PENALTY
an Indonesian court sentenced two foreigners, a Brazilian and an Indian, to death for drug trafficking
an Indonesian court sentenced two foreigners, a Brazilian and an Indian, to death for drug trafficking
- FEBRUARY 6, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a Madhya Pradesh court in India sentenced to death five people
a Madhya Pradesh court in India sentenced to death five people
- FEBRUARY 5, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi Arabia executed an Indian convicted of murder in the southern region of Aseer
Indian national Gotham Krishna was sentenced to death for setting light to a fellow Indian in his sleep because of a dispute between them, the ministry said in a statement.
- FEBRUARY 5, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Lalit Kumar Yadav was sentenced to death
Lalit Kumar Yadav was sentenced to death
- FEBRUARY 5, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER, ATTEMPTED RAPE
an Additional Sessions court in India sentenced to death Lalit Kumar Yadav for killing a woman while attempting to rape her.
- JANUARY 31, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the CBI Special Judge in Kochi, India, sentenced Antony alias Anthappan, to be hanged
the CBI Special Judge in Kochi, India, sentenced Antony alias Anthappan, to be hanged
- JANUARY 29, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Portugal's Supreme Court allowed the extradition of Abu Salem
Portugal's Supreme Court allowed the extradition of Abu Salem
- JANUARY 28, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Calcutta High Court, India, commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence
the Calcutta High Court, India, commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence
- JANUARY 20, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Indian Supreme Court today commuted into life imprisonment the death penalty
the Indian Supreme Court today commuted into life imprisonment the death penalty
JANUARY 4, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTYthe Orissa High Court, India, commuted the death sentence awarded to Krushna Naik
the Orissa High Court, India, commuted the death sentence awarded to Krushna Naik
- DECEMBER 30, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Mirpur District Criminal Court, Pakistan, gave an Indian national ten death sentences
the Mirpur District Criminal Court, Pakistan, gave an Indian national ten death sentences
- DECEMBER 28, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
doctors from across India vehemently opposed the proposal to replace hanging
doctors from across India vehemently opposed the proposal to replace hanging
- DECEMBER 15, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a Fast Track Court in Ahmedabad, India, sentenced 19-year-old Balwant Thakore to death
a Fast Track Court in Ahmedabad, India, sentenced 19-year-old Balwant Thakore to death
- DECEMBER 13, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a 28-year-old man named Shaheer, convicted of killing a police...
a 28-year-old man named Shaheer, convicted of killing a police...
- DECEMBER 10, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
hundreds of Tibetans took to the streets of New Delhi in a silent protest march
hundreds of Tibetans took to the streets of New Delhi in a silent protest march
- DECEMBER 9, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Additional Sessions Court in Thalassery, India, sentenced to death Raju
the Additional Sessions Court in Thalassery, India, sentenced to death Raju
- NOVEMBER 3, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
A Pakistani national was sentenced to death by a Delhi...
A Pakistani national was sentenced to death by a Delhi court for causing a bomb explosion in 1997 in a crowded blue line bus, killing four persons and injuring 24
- OCTOBER 30, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
A Fast Track Court in India sentenced to death Joy...
A Fast Track Court in India sentenced to death Joy alias Thomas, 41 and Chacko alias James, 38, for murdering a jeep driver in order to steal his vehicle
- OCTOBER 29, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
See article of same date under 'the death penalty for...
See article of same date under 'the death penalty for terrorism'
- OCTOBER 27, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
India's eastern state of Bihar was considering training...
India's eastern state of Bihar was considering training prisoners to become hangmen so it could deal with the convicts it had on death row, State Jail Minister Raghvendra Pratap Singh said
- OCTOBER 10, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Death penalty is no deterrent to crime and it has to...
Death penalty is no deterrent to crime and it has to go, Saji Thomas, secretary of interim National Executive Committee of Amnesty International India, said
- OCTOBER 10, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
a court in Thalassery in the Indian state of Kerala, sentenced to death four Communist Party of India (CPI-M) activists
a court in Thalassery in the Indian state of Kerala, sentenced to death four Communist Party of India (CPI-M) activists
- OCTOBER 7, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
A fast track court in Godhra in the Indian state of...
A fast track court in Godhra in the Indian state of Gujarat, sentenced to death Ratansinh alias Anupsinh Chauhan after convicting him of raping and murdering a six year old girl on August 16, 2003
- OCTOBER 7, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
A court in Delhi, India, sentenced a 59-year-old man...
A court in Delhi, India, sentenced a 59-year-old man to death and his two young sons to life imprisonment in a triple murder case at Saket in South Delhi in 1998
- OCTOBER 6, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court, India, confirmed...
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court, India, confirmed the death sentence by the Kollam Sessions Court awarded to Rama Subramanian alias Mani for murdering his employer- a widow and her three children
- SEPTEMBER 30, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
A sessions court in India awarded capital punishment...
A sessions court in India awarded capital punishment to a person for killing a farmer to acquire his property and also sentenced three builders to life imprisonment for participating in the conspiracy
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
A court in New Delhi, India, sentenced two men to death...
A court in New Delhi, India, sentenced two men to death after finding them guilty of committing three murders
- SEPTEMBER 21, 2004IndiaDEATH PENALTY
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