Should the death penalty stay or go?

As Dhananjoy Chatterjee's life hangs between revenge and redemption while the government considers his wife's clemency petition, an old debate has sprung up again. Should the death penalty stay or go?

Can death penalty be justified under ANY circumstances? Sorry, but I don't think so.
Me for one thinks, that death penalty must absolutely go.

I feel that it is a violation of the basic human right to life. And in this aspect India has a long way to go. And oh, the country lecturing everyone on human rights - the USA has miles and miles to go before it can be called a civilised nation.

Killing someone is not an answer to any problem and neither does it have any deterrent effect. In Britain when pick-pockets were hanged publicly, others were doing rounds picking pockets of the public that had assembled to witness the hanging. So much so for the deterrent effect.

What does the society achieve by killing an accused or a convict? Nothing. And just in case that at a later date he be proved innocent, he has lost his life to the uncivilized society that does not care for human life.

And of for those who say that and eye for an eye is the policy. Sorry, while a murderer can be called uncivilized because he killed someone, are you just as uncivilized to commit the same crime - killing someone?