The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking to replace the existing method of hanging death-row convicts with alternative methods that may cause less pain. The petition had suggested options such as lethal injection, shooting, electrocution and gas chambers instead of hanging.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta delivered the verdict. However, the court clarified that its decision does not prevent the Centre from undertaking a comprehensive review of the existing method of execution.
The court said the Centre may consider setting up an expert committee to examine whether any alternative method could reduce pain while better preserving the dignity of a death-row prisoner.
The verdict came on a petition filed in 2017 by senior advocate Rishi Malhotra, who had challenged the statutory provision prescribing hanging as the method of execution. During the proceedings, he had also argued that death-row prisoners should at least be given a choice between methods such as hanging and lethal injection.
The Supreme Court had examined the issue in March 2023 as well, including whether hanging was a suitable and less painful method of execution. However, the court reiterated that it cannot direct the legislature on which method should be prescribed for carrying out death sentences.
