India votes against death penalty in UN

India has voted against a UN General Assembly draft resolution on the use of death penalty, saying it goes against the statutory law of the country where an execution is carried out in the "rarest of rare" cases.

The draft resolution, taken up in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) of the General Assembly Tuesday, was approved with a recorded vote of 123 in favour, 36 against and 30 abstentions.

India was among the countries that voted against the resolution, which would have the Assembly call on all States to respect international standards on the rights of those facing death penalty and ensure that it is not applied on the basis of discriminatory laws or as a result of discriminatory or arbitrary application of the law.

First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Paulomi Tripathi, giving the country’s explanation of vote, said the resolution sought to promote a moratorium on executions with to abolish death penalty. “My delegation has voted against the resolution as a whole, as it goes against statutory law in India,” she said.

“In India, the death penalty is exercised in 'rarest of rare' cases, where the crime committed is so heinous it shocks the conscience of society. Indian law provides for all requisite procedural safeguards, including the right to a fair trial by an independent Court,” she said.