New Delhi, Oct 6 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Union of India and sought a detailed reply within three weeks in connection with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer, Rishi Malhotra, seeking replacement of hanging in death penalty cases. The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud. "Our constitution is a compassionate one which recognises the principle of sanctity of life. With the invention of various modes in modern time, the legislature can think of another method to execute death convicts," the bench observed while hearing the PIL Advocate Malhotra had, in his PIL, challenged the validity of section 354 (5) of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure-hanging by neck). The CJI bench observed, since centuries, nothing can be equated to painless death. In his petition, Malhotra claimed that the act of execution should be as quick and as simple as possible and free from anything that unnecessarily sharpened the poignancy of the prisoners apprehension. The act of the execution should produce immediate unconsciousness passing quickly into the death. It should not involve mutilation, Malhotra asserted.

UNI XC RP1800