Memon challenges death warrant in SC

Legal Correspondent

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New Delhi, July 23

Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, sentenced to death in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, today moved the Supreme Court challenging the warrant for his execution on July 30, his birthday.

In his petition, Memon said the Mumbai anti-terror court had issued the death warrant without letting him exhaust all his legal options.

When the warrant was issued his curative petition was still pending in the Supreme Court, which dismissed it only two days ago. Within hours of the SC order on July 21, Memon sent a mercy plea to the Maharashtra Governor.

His execution should now be subject to the outcome of his petition to the Governor, he pleaded.

Memon also cited a recent SC verdict through which it quashed the death warrant issued by a court in Uttar Pradesh in haste without waiting for the mandatory period of 30 days from the date of awarding capital punishment.

On July 21, a three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu rejected Memon’s contentions that he was a victim of bias and violation of the principles of natural justice and hence “the curative petition stands dismissed”. The other judges on the Bench were Justices TS Thakur and Anil R Dave.

Memon, the main accused in the serial blasts case, had questioned the logic behind executing him after keeping him behind the bars for over 20 years, which was longer than serving out a life sentence.