A recent photo of 1993 blasts convict Yakub Memon.
The families of those who died in the 1993 Mumbai blasts had met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding that Yakub Memon, on death row in the case, must be hanged. The outlook was bleak for Memon after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected Memon's mercy plea on Wednesday. Hours later, in a 5 am verdict, the Supreme Court, too, refused to offer him respite.
Here are 10 developments:
"I have signatures of 1,600 people given in just two hours who all want Yakub to be hanged," said Tushar Deshmukh, who lost his mother in the 1993 blasts.
Mr Deshmukh said he had "given a letter to the Governor, have met Maharashtra Chief Minister and Nitin Gadkari ji. I will also give these signatures to the President."
The three-judge bench that heard Memon's appeal on Wednesday morning, turned down a fresh plea by Memon's lawyers that argued that he could not be executed for a fortnight as per precedence.
On Wednesday, the bench had rejected Yakub Memon's petition, clearing the decks for his execution the next morning.
Memon had filed a fresh mercy plea with President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday morning, which was rejected following the advice of the home ministry.
On Thursday, Memon is slated to be hanged at the Nagpur Central Jail, where he is lodged, for his role in the deadly terror attack in which 257 people were killed in 12 simultaneous blasts in Mumbai in 1993.
His wife was expected to reach Nagpur on Wednesday. His brother Suleiman met him in jail after the Supreme Court verdict.
There is high security outside the jail. A 10-member quick response team of the Nagpur police has set up tight vigil and security barricades have been put up.
Memon is the only one of 11 people whose death sentence in the case has been upheld. The sentences of the others were commuted to life imprisonment. Many people, including politicians, jurists and retired judges have also asked the President to grant mercy to Yakub, who was arrested in 1994.
In 2007, Yakub was found guilty of both plotting the terror attack and executing it. His brother Ibrahim Memon, also known as Tiger Memon, is the main accused in the case along with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, and is missing since 1993.
Post a comment