An additional district and sessions judge in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced 22 individuals to death across 10 different cases within the last four months. These verdicts cover serious offences including murder, abduction, and highway robbery, highlighting the court's rigorous approach to severe crimes.
A division bench of justices AY Kogje and Samir Dave, in its July 7 judgment cited the "humongous" conspiracy, the intention to spread widespread terror and the large number of casualties as key reasons for affirming the punishment.
The Gujarat High Court has upheld the death sentences for 38 Indian Mujahideen operatives and life imprisonment for 11 others involved in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts, which killed 56 people. The court also directed the state government to pay significant compensation to victims' families and those grievously injured.
A fast track court in Muzaffarnagar has sentenced three people to death and another to seven years' imprisonment for the abduction and murder of a lawyer in 2019.
The Calcutta High Court acquitted a man sentenced to death by a sessions court, citing significant procedural errors and lack of corroborating evidence. The court also acquitted 18 others who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in the same murder case.
Approximately 100 murder cases have been transferred from Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravikumar Diwakar's court in Muzaffarnagar to the District and Sessions Judge's court. This administrative order follows Diwakar's delivery of 22 death sentences in 10 cases over the past four months, which caused apprehension among lawyers and litigants regarding capital punishment.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has overturned the death sentences of two men convicted in the 2019 rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Ludhiana, citing procedural errors during the trial.
A fast-track court in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced a 50-year-old man to death for the murder of a woman and her six-year-old son in 2011.
The Delhi Police have urged a court to sentence former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four others to death for the brutal murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots, citing the 'heinous and brutal' nature of the crime and the 'savage and relentless assault' on the victim.
A fast-track court in Muzaffarnagar sentenced a woman and her three sons to death in a murder case dating back to September 2019.
Former Indian envoys criticize the death sentence handed down to ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, expressing concerns about political polarization and stability in Bangladesh.
A court in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced Amjad Khan to death for the brutal murder of his four-year-old nephew, Daniyal, in 2021, citing extreme cruelty in the crime.
According to a statement issued by the Grand Mufti's office, the decision was made after a high-level meeting held in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, where it was decided to completely cancel the death sentence, which had been temporarily suspended earlier.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court acquitted one convict and commuted the death sentence of two others to life imprisonment in the 2014 Yug Gupta murder case.
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared her intention to return to Bangladesh in December, despite facing a death sentence and the risk of arrest. Speaking from India, she stated her goal is to restore democracy and justice, criticising the current state of affairs in Bangladesh and alleging that her government's collapse was due to organised violence. Her son also claimed Bangladesh is a "failed state" and a concern for India.
Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges, official media reported.
Bangladesh has requested India to create a "conducive environment" for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's potential visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit, linking it to their demand for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. This comes amidst strained relations following Hasina's media interaction in New Delhi, which Bangladesh deemed offensive, and her subsequent death sentence in absentia for "crimes against humanity." India maintains that the extradition request is under examination and that it had no role in Hasina's media event.
A court in Washim, Maharashtra, has sentenced nine police personnel to life imprisonment for the 2011 custodial death of Begya Pawar. The court found them guilty of murder, wrongful confinement, and causing grievous hurt, ruling their actions were "serious and brutal" and not part of public duty. The victim died after being brutally beaten to extort a confession, and the police attempted to cover up the incident with a fabricated FIR.
Hasina expressed a desire to face consequences on her home soil, where her parents are buried, amidst repression against her party workers.
The Gujarat high court has characterised the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts as a direct assault on India's sovereignty and democratic governance.
A court in Karnataka has sentenced six convicts to death in connection with the 2025 murder of BJP leader Venkatesh Kurubara.
Bangladesh has once again sought the extradition of former premier Sheikh Hasina from India during High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi's first meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, amidst fresh strains in ties between the two countries following Hasina's controversial virtual media interaction in New Delhi.
Former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan's ancestral home was attacked with petrol bombs and smashed windows after he participated in an online media interaction where ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to return to Bangladesh despite facing a death sentence.
Under the Odisha state premature release policy, prisoners whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment become eligible for remission after completing 25 years in prison, subject to recommendations by the Odisha State Sentence Review Board and approval by the state government. Dara Singh has now spent more than 26 years in prison.
Terming the case as "rarest of the rare", additional judge (special judge) S R Salunkhe sentenced Bhimrao Kamble, who was present in the witness box.
A court in Mahoba district has sentenced Devendra Vishwakarma to death for the murder of his wife and two minor daughters in 2023. The conviction was secured through efforts under the Uttar Pradesh Police's Operation Conviction campaign.
A parliamentary committee has noted Bangladesh's extradition request for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces a death sentence in absentia. The Indian government has confirmed the request is under examination, reiterating its humanitarian approach of offering refuge while ensuring no political activity is conducted from Indian soil. The committee has urged the government to keep it apprised of the matter.
Bangladesh has stated there is "no rush" for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to India, emphasising that Dhaka will not compromise its national interests. State Minister Humaiun Kobir indicated the visit would occur after sufficient bilateral progress. The visit is crucial for mending India-Bangladesh ties, which have been strained, particularly following the ouster of former PM Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh's subsequent extradition request.
A man in Thane, Maharashtra, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his neighbour, while his parents were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
A surgeon in Chhattisgarh has been sentenced to two years in jail in connection with the deaths of 12 women following sterilisation surgeries he performed in 2014.
The Supreme Court has given the Odisha government one month to decide on the remission plea of Ravindra Pal, alias Dara Singh, who is serving a life sentence for the 1999 murders of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons.
Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was serving a life sentence for his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, has died. He was convicted in two separate cases related to the killings of Sikhs during the riots and was lodged in Tihar Jail.
A Pakistani court has sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in the name of 'honour'. The man suspected his wife of having an affair and slit her throat with a knife.
The Delhi High Court dismissed an appeal by the Unnao rape survivor seeking the death penalty for Kuldeep Sengar in her father's custodial death case, citing an unexplained delay of 1,945 days in filing the appeal.
India has distanced itself from former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's recent media interaction in New Delhi, stating it played no role in the event nor endorsed her comments regarding the Bangladesh government. This comes after Bangladesh expressed outrage over the permitted interaction, which saw Hasina announce her determination to return to Bangladesh to restore democracy.
The Supreme Court has agreed to reexamine the case of a death row convict punished for raping and killing a minor in 2008, focusing on whether sentencing guidelines were properly followed.
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a petition seeking to abolish execution by hanging, affirming its legality while strongly emphasising that the State must carry out capital punishment in a manner that minimises suffering and preserves human dignity, even for condemned prisoners.
The court also directed the state to pay a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the family of the deceased doctor.
The West Bengal government has sought permission from the Calcutta High Court to appeal against the Sealdah court order that sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment until death in the RG Kar hospital doctor's rape and murder case. The state government is seeking the death penalty for Roy, the sole convict in the case, and has expressed dissatisfaction with the Sealdah court's verdict, which did not consider the crime "rarest of the rare." The court also ordered Roy to pay a Rs 50,000 fine and directed the state government to pay compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the family of the deceased doctor.
A court in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced Sanjay Prasad to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife, Pramila Devi, whom he killed with a spade in October 2023. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000.
