Capital punishment - your views in general and specifically ?

supremeBaleno · 11th October 2006, 20:15

Since this has been all over the news for some days, I expected a thread here on the court awarding capital punishment to one of the accused in the Parliament bombing case. However, repeated searches did not yield anything. Hence this thread.

I have been reading different views in the newspapers by readers, apart from the editorials. Some are for capital punishment. Some are normally against capital punishment, but want it to be done in this case, as it involves terrorism. Some are totally against capital punishment etc.

A) Those that do not want a pardon to happen in this case cite the following :
1) A terrorist act and an attack on our country's foremost institution.
2) It would be unfair to the 9 security people killed in the attack.
3) The accused showing no remorse and not asking for pardon personally (it is his family that have asked for pardon on his behalf).
4) The accused not accepting Indian constitution and authority.
5) A reduction to life sentence would mean that he will be again out in the streets in 12 years plotting another attack.
6) If sentenced to life, could lead to another air hijacking in future to get him released and free to plot more terror games.

B) Those that want a pardon in this case cite :
1) No human has the right to take another's life.
2) It is inhuman; the world as such is moving away from this type of punishment.
3) India, the land of Ahimsa, should not practice such western punishments.
4) If at a later stage, it turns out that the person was not guilty, it would not be possible to reverse the injustice meted to him etc.

What are your views on this issue ?

I personally am confused. I think that this is a grave crime and deserves serious punishment. Also, I am worried about the signal this would send to our armed forces (and their families) who sacrifice their life for our safety. But, I also believe in point B-1 above. But if the sentence is reduced to life, there is the possibility of A-5 and A-6.

A person I know mentioned another approach - pardon him, then bump him off in a stage-managed encounter.

-----------------------------------------
@Mods, do delete/move/close the thread if it is not in tune with what the forum stands for.

rsjaurr · 11th October 2006, 21:29

Good topic supremebaleno,congrates..........I would really like to see posts pouring in from everyone right here instead of wasting our time discussing contaminations in soft drinks.
And i like controversial topics too.

coming back to the real topic,i beleive govt here can do a great favour or great beginging by pardoning that guy as she[govt] is not going to get anyhting if he is hanged and we r not sure if he is really involved or not.Other guy who is a professor in some delhi university was also charged with same ofence but later set free after court found no evidence against him.we all know how our police works.

rks · 11th October 2006, 21:52

I agree with rsjaurr. I am opposed to the death penalty no matter how serious the crime, for the simple reason that we can never be sure that an innocent person was not framed by some unscrupulous characters, of which species there is no shortage in our country. Especially in high profile cases like this one, where both the govt. and the police are under pressure to crack the case. Secondly, the death penalty is inhuman and barbarian, and is not necessary; a life-imprisonment sentence is equally effective as a deterrent to crime, with the added possibility that the accused can be released if found innocent later.

2L8uLoose · 11th October 2006, 22:03

As this thread is controvertial anyway I hope the mods dont do their normal cut job on my post..the following is MY OPINION and I'm entitled to it....
Aw gee lets get out the Tissue paper and hand some to Osama and Saddam..
Sheesh no wonder terrorism is rampant in our country...
I dont think they deserve a trial.. its just a blooming waste of time.. they should take the ones they caught and hang them from the tallest and nearest tree...
About not being sure about the guilt or innocence of the person... I wonder how all the people that lost their loved ones in the train blasts here in Bombay feel about letting the buggers who did this go...all you sympatico's should put yourselves in one of their shoes for ONE SECOND and see if you still feel like letting the guilty ones off...

Nikhilb2008 · 11th October 2006, 22:44

If he is guilty, he should be killed SLOWLY. Not by some humane way...why does he get to die in a "humane" (hanging, electric chair and lethal injection abroad) when his victims died a violent death and many of them suffered ??

v1p3r · 11th October 2006, 22:44

If you want to give them the death penalty, don't make it namby-pamby hanging or lethal injection. Let them be eaten alive by piranha, or flesh-eating bugs. Or burnt alive. Or drawn and quartered. That would make a REAL example.

But then again, life imprisonment in total solitude is pretty damn scary too.

rsjaurr · 11th October 2006, 22:45

you r absolutely right about those who have lost their dear ones in terrorist attcks but then it would be a different topic that who is really responsible for these terrorist attcks and topic will be quite hot,debatable and quite controversial.

I am from Punjab,from an area which was hotbed of millitancy and have seen it all.I have seen bullets fired at a distance of 100m from me.

Whatever media tries to prject is not always the real picture.Our media doesn't tell us the story of other side.
BTW plz do not compare osama with this guy as he is citizen of India and not an outsider.

Even if someone has to be hanged,i will go for hanging culprits of mumbai train blasts and not for those who attacked our parliament....

Nikhilb2008 · 11th October 2006, 23:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsjaurr

Whatever media tries to prject is not always the real picture.Our media doesn't tell us the story of other side.
BTW plz do not compare osama with this guy as he is citizen of India and not an outsider.

Even if someone has to be hanged,i will go for hanging culprits of mumbai train blasts and not for those who attacked our parliament....

I dont get your logic..... in both cases innocent people were killed.... Why special treatment to Afzal ??

v1p3r · 11th October 2006, 23:51

Because a lot of politicians also deserve the death penalty?

tsk1979 · 12th October 2006, 00:02

Note from mod: Before this turns into a slugfest on who is a terrorist and who is not, this thread is closed.

View Poll Results: Are you for or against capital punishment in the Parliament attack case ?
Yes, the crime deserves capital punishment.	5	55.56%
The crime is serious, but no capital punishment.	3	33.33%
Confused / Not sure.	1	11.11%
Voters: 9. You may not vote on this poll

11th October 2006, 20:15	#1
supremeBaleno Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chennai / Kochi Posts: 5,546 Thanked: 2,698 Times View My Garage	Capital punishment - your views in general and specifically ? Since this has been all over the news for some days, I expected a thread here on the court awarding capital punishment to one of the accused in the Parliament bombing case. However, repeated searches did not yield anything. Hence this thread. I have been reading different views in the newspapers by readers, apart from the editorials. Some are for capital punishment. Some are normally against capital punishment, but want it to be done in this case, as it involves terrorism. Some are totally against capital punishment etc. A) Those that do not want a pardon to happen in this case cite the following : 1) A terrorist act and an attack on our country's foremost institution. 2) It would be unfair to the 9 security people killed in the attack. 3) The accused showing no remorse and not asking for pardon personally (it is his family that have asked for pardon on his behalf). 4) The accused not accepting Indian constitution and authority. 5) A reduction to life sentence would mean that he will be again out in the streets in 12 years plotting another attack. 6) If sentenced to life, could lead to another air hijacking in future to get him released and free to plot more terror games. B) Those that want a pardon in this case cite : 1) No human has the right to take another's life. 2) It is inhuman; the world as such is moving away from this type of punishment. 3) India, the land of Ahimsa, should not practice such western punishments. 4) If at a later stage, it turns out that the person was not guilty, it would not be possible to reverse the injustice meted to him etc. What are your views on this issue ? I personally am confused. I think that this is a grave crime and deserves serious punishment. Also, I am worried about the signal this would send to our armed forces (and their families) who sacrifice their life for our safety. But, I also believe in point B-1 above. But if the sentence is reduced to life, there is the possibility of A-5 and A-6. A person I know mentioned another approach - pardon him, then bump him off in a stage-managed encounter. ----------------------------------------- @Mods, do delete/move/close the thread if it is not in tune with what the forum stands for.
	() Thanks

11th October 2006, 21:29	#2
rsjaurr BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Batala Posts: 777 Thanked: 28 Times	Good topic supremebaleno,congrates..........I would really like to see posts pouring in from everyone right here instead of wasting our time discussing contaminations in soft drinks. And i like controversial topics too. coming back to the real topic,i beleive govt here can do a great favour or great beginging by pardoning that guy as she[govt] is not going to get anyhting if he is hanged and we r not sure if he is really involved or not.Other guy who is a professor in some delhi university was also charged with same ofence but later set free after court found no evidence against him.we all know how our police works.
	() Thanks

11th October 2006, 21:52	#3
rks BANNED Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: ?? Posts: 1,238 Thanked: 17 Times	I agree with rsjaurr. I am opposed to the death penalty no matter how serious the crime, for the simple reason that we can never be sure that an innocent person was not framed by some unscrupulous characters, of which species there is no shortage in our country. Especially in high profile cases like this one, where both the govt. and the police are under pressure to crack the case. Secondly, the death penalty is inhuman and barbarian, and is not necessary; a life-imprisonment sentence is equally effective as a deterrent to crime, with the added possibility that the accused can be released if found innocent later.
	() Thanks

11th October 2006, 22:03	#4
2L8uLoose BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 628 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	As this thread is controvertial anyway I hope the mods dont do their normal cut job on my post..the following is MY OPINION and I'm entitled to it.... Aw gee lets get out the Tissue paper and hand some to Osama and Saddam.. Sheesh no wonder terrorism is rampant in our country... I dont think they deserve a trial.. its just a blooming waste of time.. they should take the ones they caught and hang them from the tallest and nearest tree... About not being sure about the guilt or innocence of the person... I wonder how all the people that lost their loved ones in the train blasts here in Bombay feel about letting the buggers who did this go...all you sympatico's should put yourselves in one of their shoes for ONE SECOND and see if you still feel like letting the guilty ones off...
	() Thanks

11th October 2006, 22:44	#5
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	If he is guilty, he should be killed SLOWLY. Not by some humane way...why does he get to die in a "humane" (hanging, electric chair and lethal injection abroad) when his victims died a violent death and many of them suffered ??
	() Thanks

11th October 2006, 22:44	#6
v1p3r Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR / DXB / LON Posts: 5,334 Thanked: 6,896 Times View My Garage	If you want to give them the death penalty, don't make it namby-pamby hanging or lethal injection. Let them be eaten alive by piranha, or flesh-eating bugs. Or burnt alive. Or drawn and quartered. That would make a REAL example. But then again, life imprisonment in total solitude is pretty damn scary too.
	() Thanks

11th October 2006, 22:45	#7
rsjaurr BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Batala Posts: 777 Thanked: 28 Times	you r absolutely right about those who have lost their dear ones in terrorist attcks but then it would be a different topic that who is really responsible for these terrorist attcks and topic will be quite hot,debatable and quite controversial. I am from Punjab,from an area which was hotbed of millitancy and have seen it all.I have seen bullets fired at a distance of 100m from me. Whatever media tries to prject is not always the real picture.Our media doesn't tell us the story of other side. BTW plz do not compare osama with this guy as he is citizen of India and not an outsider. Even if someone has to be hanged,i will go for hanging culprits of mumbai train blasts and not for those who attacked our parliament.... Last edited by rsjaurr : 11th October 2006 at 22:50.
	() Thanks

11th October 2006, 23:51	#9
v1p3r Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR / DXB / LON Posts: 5,334 Thanked: 6,896 Times View My Garage	Because a lot of politicians also deserve the death penalty?
	() Thanks

12th October 2006, 00:02	#10
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Note from mod: Before this turns into a slugfest on who is a terrorist and who is not, this thread is closed.
	() Thanks