Judicial Hanging-Cause of Death

The World is divided on the issue of Capital punishment. Many western countries have abolished death as a judicial punishment, with the argument; eye for an eye is barbaric. India however has death penalty, by hanging in statute. It is awarded in rarest of the rare cases. It seems death penalty is there to stay in Indian statute. On the cause of death in cases of judicial hanging the popular book teaching is- facture of second and third or third and fourth cervical vertebra is responsible for quick and painless death. Studies carried out on later dates on the body of victims of judicial hanging showed otherwise.