Growing clamour for hanging: Over 462 on death row in the year 2018

162 persons were sentenced to death by trial courts in the same year

Project 39A at National Law University, Delhi, compiles annual  data, via multiple sources, on the use of the death penalty in India. Its 2018 report says 162 persons were sentenced to death by trial courts that year and 426 were on death row. While 2018 saw most death sentences being delivered by trial courts in nearly two decades, the Supreme Court moved in the opposite direction. In 2018, the SC confirmed three death sentences under its review jurisdiction in the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case.

Last year also saw the legislative expansion of the death penalty for non-homicide offences. Parliament amended the Indian Penal Code in August to provide for the death sentence as a possible punishment for raping girls below 12 years. 

Also, the Cabinet also approved a Bill providing the death penalty or life imprisonment for maritime piracy. In January 2019, the government introduced in the Lok Sabha amendments to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, which brought in the death sentence for penetrative aggra-vated sexual assault with those below the age of 18.

Data and analysis: Project 39A