Demons and Demigods

The capital punishment is a subject of great debate not only in India, but also across the world. While some countries have abolished this practice terming it inhuman and degrading, others have retained it as a means of deterrence. In India, the death penalty continues to be in practice. The author in this book argues that the death penalty be abolished in India. She strengthens her argument with the help of a personal narrative recounting her experience as a lawyer in arguing a case in the Supreme Court, in which four young men had been sentenced to death by the trial court. The sentence of death delivered by the trial court was upheld by the Bombay High Court. The author, however, along with her senior successfully defended the accused in the Supreme Court, and got their death penalty converted to life imprisonment. To further supplement her position against the death penalty, the author critically analyses the landmark cases, which have shaped the law on the capital punishment in India, and interprets the views of experts on the subject. She also examines a few foreign jurisdictions, and provides a comparative perspective on the issue of the death penalty.