Courts Supreme Court
Supreme Court dismisses plea to abolish hanging as death penalty method
The case involves a public interest litigation challenging the constitutional validity of Section 354(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which prescribes hanging as the sole method of executing the death penalty.
The petitioner sought a declaration that this method violates Article 21 of the Constitution and that the right to die by a dignified procedure is a fundamental right.
Who it concerns: Petitioner: Rishi Malhotra & Anr.; Respondent: Union of India; Bench: Justice Mehta.
What the court decided
- The Court dismissed the plea to abolish hanging as the method of execution.
- The Court stated that the Union is free to explore alternative methods of execution.
Also in the document
- The judgment is marked as 'REPORTABLE' in the document header.
- The Court noted that the constitutional validity of the death penalty itself is settled law and not the subject of this debate, focusing instead on the method of execution.
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The original document
Supreme Court of India — orders & judgments
Court order · Ref. Rishi Malhotra v. Union of India, W.P.(Crl.) No. 145/2017 · 18 Aug 2026
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