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Execution trajectory in India

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated:

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 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.

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