File picture of Yakub Memon.
On the eve of the hearing of '93 Mumbai blast death row convict Yakub Memon's appeal by the Supreme Court, a group of eminent citizens - including politicians, jurists and retired judges - submitted a fresh mercy petition to President Pranab Mukherjee, urging him to commute the death sentence.
Memon, who is to be executed on July 30, has filed a fresh plea in the top court for a stay on the execution. His mercy plea was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee in May 2014.
Those who signed today's petition included leaders from across the political spectrum - CPM chief Sitaram Yechury, former CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI's D Raja, Congress's Mani Shankar Aiyar and BJP's Shatrughan Sinha.
Others included retired Supreme Court judges HS Bedi and PB Sawant, jurist Ram Jethmalanai, advocate Prashant Bhushan, actor Naseeruddin Shah, film-maker Mahesh Bhatt and social activist Tushar Gandhi.
Their petition put forth a number of arguments against executing Memon, and giving him a life sentence instead.
The signatories argued that the top court had "applied a different yardstick to Yakub Memon" after having commuted the death sentences of 10 others pronounced by the same TADA court.
"In comparison to Yakub Memon, the 10 co-accused persons planted the bombs and played a much more critical and direct role in the actual execution of the conspiracy," the petition read.
The petition also argued that Memon has been certified as "mentally unstable and suffering from schizophrenia", and that the Supreme Court had earlier held that such a person should not be hanged.
It also alleged that Memon's lawyers could not attend "death warrant hearing" as it had been held without due notice.
Speaking in Kolkata about the petition, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, however, took a careful position.
"We believe that Yakub Memon is guilty and needs to be punished. But, we want his death sentence to be commuted to a life sentence," said Mr Yechury, whose party is principally opposed to capital punishment.