Agencies
NAGPUR, JULY 15
Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, a death row convict in the March 12, 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, will be hanged at 7 am on July 30 in Nagpur Central Jail, if the Supreme Court rejects his curative petition on July 21.
It will be the first execution in the 1993 blasts case.
A chartered accountant, Memon is currently lodged in the Nagpur Central Jail.
The 53-year-old Memon, whose mercy plea was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee in April this year, filed his second review petition before the Supreme Court which is expected to be heard on July 21.
However, the state government is making all preparations for the hanging with the warrant issued earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the state government would follow the directives given by the Supreme Court over the execution of Memon.“The Supreme Court has made a decision on this issue. Whatever directives will be given by the court, the Maharashtra Government will act according to that. We will provide more information on this matter when the time is right,” said Fadnavis.
According to DNA, the date and time of execution has already been approved by Fadnavis. Besides courts and local administration of Nagpur, Memon’s family has also been apprised about it.
Memon was awarded the death sentence by a Special TADA Court in Mumbai on July 27, 2007 for his role in the blasts, including arranging finances for carrying out the 13 serial explosions which left 257 dead and over 700 injured across the city on March 12, 1993.
Subsequently, Memon - the brother of one of the main absconding accused Ibrahim alias Tiger Memon - appealed against the sentence in the Bombay High Court, Supreme Court and later filed a mercy petition with the President, followed by a review petition, and now a second review petition which is pending.
Leading criminal lawyer and a former defence lawyer in the same case Majeed Memon questioned the need for the state government’s “hurry” in the matter even before the outcome of the second review petition.
“Are they pre-empting the issue or are they already before-hand aware of the outcome of the review petition? They should have waited till the matter is finally decided,” Majeed Memon, a top NCP leader and Member of Parliament, told a news agency on Wednesday.
The bombings, police say, were carried out at the behest of gangster Dawood Ibrahim to avenge the destruction of an ancient mosque by Hindu zealots in 1992 and subsequent riots in which many Muslims were killed. A special anti-terrorism court had convicted 100 people in the attacks.
