The Government has informed the Supreme Court that it is contemplating the formation of a panel of experts to study the current method of executing death row convicts through hanging in the country. The Attorney General’s submission said that the Government was considering forming a committee and that the process of finalising the names for the panel was ongoing. The court had sought “better data” from the Centre on the mode of execution and had hinted at setting up a committee of experts to examine the practice’s proportionality and painlessness. A PIL was filed seeking the abolition of the current practice and replacing it with less painful methods such as lethal injection, shooting, electrocution, or the gas chamber. The matter will be further discussed after summer vacations.
The shortage of hangmen in India is indeed one of the reasons why death sentences in the country are so delayed. In India, the practice of hanging death row convicts is carried out by trained hangmen who are appointed by the jail authorities. However, there is a significant shortage of trained hangmen in the country, which has led to a backlog of death sentences.
The method of conviction is under debate. Alternative methods of execution, such as lethal injection, shooting, electrocution, or gas chambers, are used in some countries instead of hanging because they are believed to be less painful and more humane. Hanging can cause severe pain and trauma to the convict, and sometimes the execution may not be successful, leading to a prolonged and excruciating death. In contrast, lethal injection is designed to cause death quickly and painlessly by administering a series of drugs that first render the convict unconscious and then stop the heart and breathing. However, the choice of the method varies from country to country, and there is an ongoing debate about the most humane method of execution.
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