SRINAGAR: Eight convicts in Jammu and Kashmir remain on death row as of December 31, 2024, with their executions pending, according to the latest report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The data, presented in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Home Affairs, places Jammu and Kashmir among the states and union territories where capital punishment sentences are yet to be carried out, contributing to the nationwide total of 544 convicts awaiting execution.
With 95 convicts on death row, Uttar Pradesh leads the list, followed by Gujarat with 49, Jharkhand and Maharashtra with 45 each, and Madhya Pradesh with 39. Other states with a significant number of capital punishment convicts include Karnataka (32), Haryana (21), Rajasthan (20), and Kerala (19). Among the northeastern states, Assam has nine convicts on death row, while states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland report no capital punishment cases.
Jammu and Kashmir’s inclusion in the list highlights the region’s legal landscape, where courts continue to hand down death sentences in the rarest of rare cases. Legal experts attribute delays to pending appeals, mercy petitions, and judicial reviews.
The NCRB report does not provide details on the number of mercy petitions filed or their current status. However, across India, many convicts on death row have sought presidential clemency, leading to further delays in execution.
While the death penalty remains a legal provision in India, its implementation has been rare, with executions occurring only in the most heinous cases. In recent years, public and legal debates have intensified over whether capital punishment serves as an effective tool for justice or whether alternatives such as life imprisonment without parole should be considered.
