Mixed response on abolition of death penalty in India

A discussion on a Law Commission consultation paper if capital punishment should be retained or abolished on Saturday evoked a mixed response. 

While former President APJ Abdul Kalam, DMK leader Kanimozhi and former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi supported the abolition of death penalty, several others favoured retaining it. 

The Commission on Saturday organised a consultation on the issue of abolition of death penalty in India, which was part of <g data-gr-id="12">its</g> over year-long process to garner views and suggestion before submitting its report to the Supreme Court. Several of those who responded to the consultation paper, brought out by Law Commission last year, and experts who participated in  Saturday's consultation sought a more unambiguous definition of 'rarest of rare' case.