Yakub Memon was executed at the Nagpur jail for his role in the serial bombings in Mumbai
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today criticised Human Rights groups and activists who tried to save Yakub Memon, a convict in the 1993 serial Mumbai blasts. Memon was hanged on July 30 after a marathon and unprecedented all-night hearing at Supreme Court the night before.
President Pranab Mukherjee and the Supreme Court had both dismissed appeals from Memon challenging his hanging. His petition to the President sought mercy; in the Supreme Court, his lawyers had argued that judges had not followed due process when upholding his death sentence. When neither route brought reprieve, activists and lawyers filed a late-night petition arguing that Memon's mercy petition had been rejected in an unwarranted rush by the President, and that a prisoner is entitled to a 14-day gap before execution once a request for clemency is turned down.
"He was convicted by the highest court of the country. But in that case also some people tried to raise the issue of human rights. For a person like me, I failed to understand why such things are raised," Mr Singh said.
The home minister, who was addressing a conference at National Human Rights Commission, said that activists were quick to take up the case of terrorist and not that of the security forces.
"I get worried when some people raise the issue of human rights of terrorists and extremists when security forces resort to self defence," he said, and added "I have no hesitation in telling those people and organisations in India we have a healthy democracy, how can we allow people place their demand with guns in their hands?"
Memon was executed at the Nagpur jail where he had spent almost half of his more than 20 years in prison since he was convicted for playing a crucial role in the serial bombings in Mumbai in which 257 people were killed in 1993.