Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 02:58am on 04 Feb 2026,Wednesday India
For the third consecutive year, India’s Supreme Court has not upheld any death penalty imposed by lower courts, continuing a trend of rejecting capital punishment confirmations. Instead, the top court acquitted nine death-row prisoners and commuted five others to lesser sentences, reflecting growing judicial reluctance to validate death sentences amid concerns about fair trials and procedural errors. The pattern highlights a shift in how appellate courts scrutinise capital punishment cases, emphasising due process and mitigation before affirming the ultimate penalty. This ongoing trend contributes to debates on death penalty practices within India’s criminal justice system. (PC: The Hindu)
