At 7 am on July 30 Yakub Memon is likely to be hanged in Nagpur Central Jail provided the Supreme Court turns down his mercy plea on July 21. This will be the first execution in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
The Supreme Court had rejected Memon’s review petition on April 9 to commute his death sentence to a life term. In his plea, Memon had pointed out that he had already spent more than 20 years in prison––longer than the 14-year life imprisonment sentence, thereby urging for clemency.
The Supreme Court, however, showed none, upholding the judgement pronounced by a Mumbai trial court two years ago. After that, Memon had moved a curative petition in the apex court which is expected to come up on July 21.
Even President Pranab Mukherjee turned down Memon’s mercy plea last year.
Preparations in Full Swing
According to a report in Hindustan Times, the Maharashtra Government has began proceedings for his execution after obtaining permission from the TADA court.
The decision on the review petition is expected on July 21. On our side, we have started the procedure. The order for the execution of Yakub was issued on Monday and sent to the superintendent of the Nagpur prison. The prison will prepare the entire procedure of the execution.
– A home department official to Hindustan Times
Mumbai Blasts
Yakub, who was a chartered accountant before he was arrested, is the brother of fugitive terror mastermind Ibrahim Mushtaq ‘Tiger’ Memon. It was Tiger who got Yakub involved in the planning and plotting of the Mumbai serial blasts that killed 257 people and injured 700 on March 12, 1993.
The attack was orchestrated under the supervision of D-Company, headed by Tiger’s boss and the most wanted man in India – Dawood Ibrahim.
Yakub was sentenced to death by TADA court in 2007 after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy and for arranging finances and managing its disbursement through the co-accused in the Mumbai serial blasts case.
Who is Yakub Memon
- Yakub Memon is a chartered accountant.
- He is the brother of Tiger Memon, the prime accused and the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
- Yakub is charged under section 120-b of IPC for criminal conspiracy.
- Yakub is found guilty of arranging funds, arranging vehicles for planting of bombs and possessing detonators and hand grenades used in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.
- Yakub along with other Memon family members fled the country after the 1993 blasts.
- Yakub’s return to India remains controversial. According to Memon family Yakub returned to India on July 19, 1994 but CBI records show that Yakub was arrested on 5 August 1994 from New Delhi railway station.
Death Row
- Yakub Memon’s second review petition on death penalty likely to come up for hearing in SC on July 21.
- Yakub Memon filed the second review petition in the Supreme Court after the apex court rejected first review petition on April 2015.
- Yakub Memon moved to Supreme Court after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy plea.
- 21 May, 2014: President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the mercy plea of Yakub Memon following recommendations from the Maharashtra govt and Union Home Ministry.
- March 21, 2013: The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Yakub Memon.
- In July 2007 a special TADA court had awarded death sentence to Yakub Memon.
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