National
Centre gets more time to reply to plea against death sentence by hanging
New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the central government more time to respond to a plea that seeks execution of death sentence by hanging to be declared ultra vires of the Constitution.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud granted the Centre four weeks as it sought more time telling the court that the response to the plea was in the drafting stage.
As the court on Tuesday gave the government four weeks’ time to file its response, the petitioner lawyer told the court that in the US, 25 states were carrying out death sentence using lethal injection.
In the course of last hearing in the matter on October 6, last year, the court had said that it was conscious of the fact that it had earlier upheld the validity of death sentence by hanging.
The bench had asked Attorney General K.K. Venugopal to assist the court in the matter.
The top court had sought the response of the Centre on a petition by lawyer Rishi Malhotra who has urged the court to declare Section 354 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) — which provides for execution by hanging — ultra vires of the Constitution, contending that the method given therein was unconstitutional, painful and not a dignified way to end (human) life.
Section 354(5) says: “When any person is sentenced to death, the sentence shall direct that he be hanged by the neck till he is dead.”
The court had in the last hearing asked the legislature to consider alternate modes of execution as, it said, the mode of execution of death sentence would be decided by the legislature since the process entails amending the CrPC.
It had said the Constitution was an organic compassionate document which recognises the principles of sanctity of life.
The petitioner told the court that the execution of death sentence by hanging violated Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees right to life with dignity.
He contended that the right to life with dignity also included right to death with dignity, without pain and suffering.
“Section 354(5) is violative of Article 21 that guarantees right to life with dignity till natural end of the life,” the petitioner lawyer contended.
The petitioner also cited an earlier Supreme Court judgement that said: “The act of the execution should be as quick and as simple as possible and free from anything that unnecessarily sharpens the poignancy of the prisoner’s apprehension, should produce immediate unconsciousness (and) passing quickly into the death, should be decent and not involve any mutilation.”
Referring to the procedure as laid down in the Punjab and Haryana Jail Manual, the petitioner said the entire procedure was painful.
He also referred to an earlier Law Commission report telling the court that the execution of death sentence by hanging was painful, brutal and violative of Article 21.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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