The mercy petition of Yakub Memon, facing gallows in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, was rejected tonight by President Pranab Mukherjee after government advised him such a course.
The decision came after Mukherjee held consultations first with Home Minister Rajnath Singh who was later joined by Home Secretary L C Goyal and Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar.
The confabulations lasted over two hours after which the President took the decision to reject the petition that was filed by Memon in a last—ditch attempt to escape death tomorrow when he is scheduled to be hanged in Nagpur jail.
In yet another last ditch action, lawyers for Yakub Memon, facing execution tomorrow, moved the Supreme Court late tonight seeking stay of his hanging.
The petition pleaded that an order should be passed that the authorities should give him at least 14 days time for execution after the rejection of his mercy petition as per the apex court’s guidelines.
The petition will be processed before a decision is taken whether it is to be heard and if so by one or more judges at their residence.
Earlier in the day, the President, who acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, referred the petition to the government.
Following this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh and top officials, including the Home Secretary met at the PM’s residence, discussed the issue and decided that the President should be advised to reject the mercy petition filed today.
Hectic consultations on the issue were also held between Home Secretary and Law Secretary P K Malhotra apparently on the issue.
Immediately after the cabinet meeting, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh drove straight to Rashtrapati Bhawan and apprised the President about the government’s decision of rejecting
He is scheduled to be hanged tomorrow morning in the Nagpur jail after the Supreme Court dismissed his petition against the death warrant on the ground that it was issued before his curative plea was heard by the court.