At least eight convicts sentenced to capital punishment were lodged in Jammu and Kashmir’s jails as of December 31, 2022, the Union government informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, while replying to a question in the House, provided data on death row prisoners across the country but noted that the number of executions pending and mercy petitions filed are not centrally maintained.
Among Union Territories, Delhi has the highest number of capital punishment convicts at nine, followed closely by Jammu and Kashmir with eight.
The data places J&K among the lower end of the list compared to larger states like Uttar Pradesh, which tops with 95 convicts, and Gujarat, which has 49.
While J&K's numbers remain relatively low, the legal experts emphasize the complexity and delays in capital punishment cases due to prolonged legal battles and the appeal process—(KNO)