’93 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub to hang on July 30

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, July 21

Terrorist Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, on death row for the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai, is set to be hanged on July 30. The Supreme Court today cleared the last hurdle by dismissing his curative petition, an effort to escape death penalty awarded to him for masterminding the serial blasts that left 257 people dead and 700 injured.

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”.

An anti-terror court in Mumbai has already issued the warrant for his execution at the Nagpur jail. On January 28, the SC had dismissed his review petition, while his mercy plea was rejected by the President.

NCP MP Majid Memon, who had described the Maharashtra Government’s decision to hang Yakub as a political and communal move, was guarded in his reaction today, saying the convict did not have any hope following rejection of his review plea.

Yakub, the main accused in the case, had questioned the logic behind executing him after keeping him behind bars for over 20 years, which was longer than serving out life sentence. Nobody could be punished twice by way of long incarceration and execution for the same crime, he had pleaded.

Confirming Pakistan’s role in the blasts, the Supreme Court had on March 21, 2013, upheld the death sentence awarded to Memon, brother of absconding accused Tiger Memon in the case. In its verdict, the SC had noted that Memon had made all arrangements for the terror strike by sending the other accused in the case to Pakistan for training in handling arms and ammunition and making bombs and for hatching the conspiracy in three countries — India, Dubai and Pakistan.

“Confessions of various co-accused prove that the weapons training was organised with the aid of the Pakistan Government and also show a very deep involvement of accused No. 1 (Memon) in serial bomb blasts,” the SC ruled.

Bombings & trial

March 12, 1993: 13 explosions rock Mumbai leaving 257 dead, 713 injured

Apr 19: Actor Sanjay Dutt held

Nov 4: Primary charge-sheet filed against 189 accused

Nov 19: Case goes to CBI

April 19, 1995: Trial begins in TADA court

Oct 14: SC grants bail to Dutt

Sept 12, 2003: Four members of Memon family held guilty; 12 get death

Nov 1, 2011: SC begins hearing on appeals

March 21, 2013: SC upholds Yakub’s death sentence

May 2014: President rejects Yakub’s mercy plea

June 2: SC stays Yakub’s execution

April 9, 2015: SC dismisses Yakub’s petition seeking review of death sentence

July 21: SC rejects Yakub’s curative petition