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TOPIC -33

Capital Punishment

Quick Points to remember

• Capital punishment is also known as death penalty.
• Under this practice, a person is put to death by the state for a crime that
he has committed.
• Under the IPC 1860, there is provision of death sentence for various
offences.
• Article 72 of the constitution has a provision of clemency of capital
punishment under which the President of India has the power to grant a
pardon.

Introduction

Capital punishment also known as death penalty is carried out for capital crimes or
capital offences. This sentence is carried out only for most heinous of the crimes and
is also called “rarest of the rare” punishment. Crimes such as murder, treason,
mutiny, and cases where rape was fatal are punishable by death after considering a
number of other factors.

The debate surrounding the abolition of the death penalty is an ongoing one. While
some people are of the view that a person who has committed such heinous crime
deserves a death penalty, others believe that death penalty is not a solution to crimes
and not good for the society at large. Most of the countries have abolished death
penalty and are of the view that it has no place in a democratic country.
Those who are in the favor of death penalty as a punishment often lay down the
argument that crimes such as murder and rape are heinous and a death penalty for
such grave crimes will set an example for other criminals. As a result of capital
punishment, the number of such crimes will come down. It only seems fair for
aperson who has committed such a crime to suffer and set an example. The aim

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