File photo of Yakub Memon
Mumbai:
With just eight days to his hanging, Yakub Memon, the 1993 Bombay Blast mastermind, has made another last ditch attempt at seeking mercy by writing to Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had rejected 53-year-old convict's curative petition.
"Yakub Memon has written to the governor seeking mercy and this as per procedure has been handed over to the jailor of Nagpur Central Jail," Yakub's lawyer Anil Gedam told NDTV. However, the appeal seems to be in transit as the Governor's office, when last contacted, said it had not received Yakub's fresh application.
But can Yakub Memon seek mercy when it has been rejected even by the President of India?
While hearing the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case today, the Supreme Court raised a similar question with the Centre, which clarified that a death row convict has the option of approaching the Governor if there is a change in circumstances.
However, the Centre also insisted that filing repeated mercy petitions should be stopped as it is a "waste of time" and the whole procedure would then become "endless".
Backing the Centre's stand, Ujjwal Nikam, who was special public prosecutor in the 1993 blasts case, accused Yakub of resorting to delaying tactics. "He has just tried one more time to delay the punishment. But the Supreme Court should think about this," he said.
At the Nagpur Central Jail, where Yakub is placed in solitary confinement, preparations have begun for an execution on July 30. Three layers of security are being added. Sources have confirmed that a team of psychiatrists and physicians are monitoring the convict's health twice every day and reporting back to the State Home Department. Weight-bearing tests have been conducted at the hanging area to ensure there are no hiccups when Yakub is hanged.
Once Yakub's appeal reaches him, it is the Governor who will decide on the next step.
Yakub was convicted in 2007 for planning and financing the 12 blasts in Mumbai that killed 257 people.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had rejected 53-year-old convict's curative petition.
"Yakub Memon has written to the governor seeking mercy and this as per procedure has been handed over to the jailor of Nagpur Central Jail," Yakub's lawyer Anil Gedam told NDTV. However, the appeal seems to be in transit as the Governor's office, when last contacted, said it had not received Yakub's fresh application.
But can Yakub Memon seek mercy when it has been rejected even by the President of India?
While hearing the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case today, the Supreme Court raised a similar question with the Centre, which clarified that a death row convict has the option of approaching the Governor if there is a change in circumstances.
However, the Centre also insisted that filing repeated mercy petitions should be stopped as it is a "waste of time" and the whole procedure would then become "endless".
Backing the Centre's stand, Ujjwal Nikam, who was special public prosecutor in the 1993 blasts case, accused Yakub of resorting to delaying tactics. "He has just tried one more time to delay the punishment. But the Supreme Court should think about this," he said.
At the Nagpur Central Jail, where Yakub is placed in solitary confinement, preparations have begun for an execution on July 30. Three layers of security are being added. Sources have confirmed that a team of psychiatrists and physicians are monitoring the convict's health twice every day and reporting back to the State Home Department. Weight-bearing tests have been conducted at the hanging area to ensure there are no hiccups when Yakub is hanged.
Once Yakub's appeal reaches him, it is the Governor who will decide on the next step.
Yakub was convicted in 2007 for planning and financing the 12 blasts in Mumbai that killed 257 people.
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