Sukhdev Singh and Harjinder Singh were executed by hanging at 4 am. (Indian time), 2330 (GMT) on October 9, 1992 at Pune jail Maharashtra. The Supreme Court rejected a last minute appeal challenging their death sentences on Oct.8,1992. They had been sentenced to death for murdering General A. Vaidya in August 1986 and pleaded guilty.
Although the two men had been acquitted of charges brought against them under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and were sentenced to death for murder under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, they were nevertheless tried by a designated court established under TADA and the special procedures initiated under that special law permitting: trial, in jail, in camera, with only one appeal, to the Supreme Court of India reportedly continued to be applied in their case.
While Amnesty International recognizes the right of governments to bring to justice those responsible for the crimes for which the men were convicted, it opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception. The death penalty is the ultimate violation of the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. The organization deeply regrets that the two men have been executed and calls on the President to commute any outstanding or future death sentences,
Article extracted from this publication >> October 30, 1992
