New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Centre's response on a plea that execution by hanging was unconstitutional as it was painful and not a dignified way of ending life.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud gave the government three weeks time to respond.

Section 354 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) provides for execution of death sentence by hanging.

The bench also asked Attorney General K.K. Venugopal to assist the court in the matter.

It asked the legislature to consider alternate modes of execution.

The Supreme Court said it was conscious that it had earlier upheld the validity of carrying out the death sentence by hanging.

It said the Constitution was an organic compassionate document which recognises the principles of sanctity of life.

The petitioner lawyer told the court that execution of death sentence by hanging violated Article 21 of the Constitution which guarantees right to life with dignity.

He said the right to life with dignity also included right to death with dignity without pain and suffering.

As the petitioner lawyer addressed the court on less painful methods of execution, Justice Chandrachud said there was a lot of criticism on carrying out death sentence by administering lethal injection.