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Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The number of death row inmates in Madhya Pradesh prisons has declined from 48 to 31 over the past seven to eight years, largely due to a series of Supreme Court rulings commuting death sentences to life imprisonment or 25 years of rigorous imprisonment. As a result, the number of convicts awaiting execution in the state has steadily fallen.

At present, 31 convicts sentenced to death are lodged in the state's prisons. They include those convicted in cases related to terrorism, heinous murders and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Seven terror convicts, including SIMI-linked Safdar Nagori and Kamruddin, are also among those on death row. According to prison department data, Indore Central Jail houses the highest number of death row inmates at 12. Bhopal Central Jail has seven, followed by Gwalior with five, Jabalpur with four and Ujjain with three.

SC commutations reduce death row

In 2018-19, there were 48 death row inmates in the state's prisons. The number fell to 44 in 2022 and has now declined to 31.The primary reason for the decline is a series of Supreme Court judgments commuting death sentences in several cases. Before a black warrant (execution order) could be issued, appeals before the apex court resulted in death sentences being commuted to life imprisonment or 25 years of rigorous imprisonment. Legal experts said the Supreme Court upholds the death penalty only in cases that fall within the "rarest of rare" category. If the court finds that a long prison term would meet the ends of justice, it commutes the death sentence.

Notable cases

In a high-profile murder case in Indore, a trial court had sentenced Neha Verma and two other convicts to death. The matter subsequently reached the Supreme Court, which commuted the death sentences to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment.Similarly, in the case involving the shooting death of six-year-old Arman, the Supreme Court commuted the convict's death sentence to 25 years of imprisonment. Following final judicial verdicts in numerous such cases, the number of death row inmates has steadily declined.

What the prison department says

Director General (Prisons) Varun Kapoor said the prison department follows court orders. He said courts impose different forms of punishment in place of the death penalty, including imprisonment till the last breath, life imprisonment, 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and other terms as directed. He also said that in many cases, convicts sentenced to death are not granted remission announced by the state government on Republic Day, Independence Day and other notified occasions.