INDIA

Execution trajectory in India

The execution of death sentence in India is formally enabled by two modes namely hanging by neck till death and being shot to death.

DNA Web Team

Updated : Nov 21, 2012, 10:23 PM IST

The execution of death sentence in India is formally enabled by two modes namely hanging by neck till death and being shot to death. The jail manuals of various states provide for the method of execution of death sentence in India. Once death sentence is awarded and is confirmed after exhausting all the possible available remedies the execution is carried out in accordance with section 354(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 i.e. hanging by neck till death. It is also provided under The Air Force Act, 1950, The Army Act 1950 and The Navy Act 1957 that the execution has to be carried out either by hanging by neck till death or by being shot to death. A public profile of all executions in India post independence is not readily available in public domain.

Source: http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/cpds1.pdf

Exhibit 1: List of death sentence executions in India: 1999 to 2011 (one case); 1996-98 (Five cases) and 1995(13 cases): in all (19) cases from 1995 to 2011 (Sixteen years)

Year	Number of executions in India	Ruling Political party/Alliance
2011	No execution	United Progressive Alliance
2010	No execution
2009	No execution
2008	No execution
2007	No execution
2006	No execution
2005	No execution
2004	One Executed in West Bengal
2003	No execution	National Democratic Alliance
2002	No execution
2001	No execution
2000	No execution
1999	No execution
1998	Three male executed in Haryana.
1997	One male executed in Andhra Pradesh.	United Front
1996	One male executed in Kerala.	United Front
1995	13 Executions One male executed in Assam. One male executed in Delhi. 11 male executed in Uttar Pradesh.	Indian National Congress

Note:List of death sentence executions in India is only documented since 1995 by National Crime Records Bureau. The NCRB records the execution profile year wise as part of its prison statistics.

Source: National Crime Records Bureau

Exhibit 2: Information relating to the execution of the death penalty in Tihar Jail, Delhi during 1982-1989

This information on number of people executed in Delhi Tihar Jail was received by the People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) in response to an application filed under the Delhi Right to Information Act, 2001 to know details of persons who had been executed in Tihar Prisons in Delhi since 1947.

Name	Date of execution	Case details	Ruling party/Alliance in Centre
Satwant Singh S/O Trilok Singh	06.01.1989	Satwant Singh was executed on January 6 ‘1989 for carrying out assassination of Indira Gandhi.	Indian National Congress (Indira)
Kehar Singh S/O Atma Singh	06.01.1989	Kehar Singh was executed for conspiracy in the plot of Indira Gandhi assassination.	Indian National Congress (Indira)
Mohd.Maqbool Bhatt S/O Gulam Qadin Bhatt	11.02.1984	Maqbool Bhatt was co-founder of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. Maqbool Bhatt was a part of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front militants who ambushed Indian Security Forces on 14 September 1966 and as he was involved in the shootout, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. After his petition for clemency to President of India Giyani Zail Singh was rejected, and Bhat was executed in the Tihar Jail in New Delhi on February 11, 1984	Indian National Congress (Indira)
Kartar Singh S/O Santa Singh	09.10.1983	-	Indian National Congress (Indira)
Ujagar Singh@ Santa Singh	09.10.1983	-	Indian National Congress (Indira)
Jasbir Singh @ Billa s/o Bakshi Singh	31.01.1982	Jasbir Singh @ Billa was executed to death sentence after found guilty in killing two children named Geeta and Sanjay Chopra and raping one of them in Delhi.	Indian National Congress (Indira)
Kuljeet Singh @ Ranga S/O Harminder Singh	31.01.1982	Kuljeet Singh @ Ranga (partnered Jasbir Singh @ Billa )was also executed to death sentence after found guilty in killing two children named Geeta and Sanjay Chopra and raping one of them in Delhi.	Indian National Congress (Indira)

Exhibit 3: Executions of the death penalty in Tihar Jail, Delhi during 1958-1977

Name	Date of execution	Ruling party/Alliance in Centre
Bachan Singh s/o Budh Singh	23.06.1958	Indian National Congress
Pyare Lal s/o Munna Lal	16.06.1959	Indian National Congress
Ram Gopal s/o Bhagwan Sahay	21.09.1959	Indian National Congress
Narain Singh s/o Bachi Singh	07.12.1960	Indian National Congress
Md.Sharif s/o Chottey	13.11.1961	Indian National Congress
Hamam Singh s/o Suba Singh	19.06.1963	Indian National Congress
Bhagwan Singh S/O Gian Singh	19.06.1963	Indian National Congress
Sohan Singh S/o Kesar Singh	31.03.1964	Indian National Congress
Ram Singh S/o Khanhai Ram	13.03 1964	Indian National Congress
Srichand S/o Sundro	26.10.1966	Indian National Congress
Manzoor Ahmad S/o Altaf Hussain	26.10.1966	Indian National Congress
Lochan Pal S/o Mehar Chand	26.07.1967	Indian National Congress
Jai Chand S/o Dig Ram	07.10.1974	Indian National Congress
Hukum Chand S/o Dig Ram	07.10.1974	Indian National Congress
Amrit Bhushan S/O Shiv Dayal	18.01.1977	Indian National Congress
Shiv Mohan S/O Nand Singh	07.04.1977	Janata Party
Baksis Singh S/O Nariam Singh	01.12.1977	Janata Party

Source: PUDR

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