Memon hanged

Stay of death warrant would be a travesty of justice, rules SC judge

Nagpur/ New Delhi: Yakub Memon, the lone 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict whose death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court, was hanged to death on Thursday. The execution of Yakub, whom the Supreme Court had described as the "driving spirit" behind the 12 coordinated blasts on March 12, 1993 that left 257 dead and 713 wounded, was preceded by a vigorous last-gasp attempt by his lawyers to prevent the hanging.

Memon, who turned 53 on Thursday, was hanged at Nagpur Central Prison at 7am, the hour set by the TADA court for execution of his death warrant. Memon's lawyers launched a fresh manoeuvre after the President rejected the second mercy petition by knocking the doors of CJI for an urgent hearing to stay the hanging on the ground that 14-day reprieve after rejection of mercy plea for various purposes.

Justice Dattu had constituted a 3-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra which had hours earlier upheld the death warrant. The unprecedented pre-dawn hearing began in Court Room 4 at 3:20 am and, an-hour-and-a-half later when it concluded at 4:50 am, Memon's fate had been sealed. "Stay of death warrant would be a travesty of justice. The plea is dismissed," said Justice Dipak Misra, snapping the final lifeline to Memon.

The body was brought to Mumbai where it was taken in an ambulance to the Bismillah Manzil building in Mahim, near his home in Al Husseini building, where family members and relatives had gathered and offered 'namaz'. The body was then taken to the Bada Qabrastan near Marine Lines in south Mumbai and buried with full religious rites next to the graves of his parents.