The Indian Supreme Court has declined to intervene in the current legal framework regarding capital punishment, officially rejecting a petition that sought to replace hanging with a more "humane" method of execution. A bench of justices ruled that there are no sufficient grounds to overturn the landmark 1983 judgment, which affirmed hanging as a constitutionally sound practice. While the court maintained the current status quo, it noted that its decision does not bar the central government from conducting its own review of execution protocols in the future to ensure that the dignity of prisoners is preserved.

The petition, filed by senior advocate Rishi Malhotra, had challenged Section 354(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, arguing that hanging is an archaic and unnecessarily painful process that conflicts with the right to life guaranteed under Article 21. In response, the Union government defended the practice, describing it as the quickest and most reliable method while pointing to the complications often associated with lethal injections in other countries. Although the court questioned whether it held the authority to dictate execution methods to the legislature, it acknowledged that the government is already exploring potential alternatives through a high-level committee.