Mangaluru: “Hap..hap.Happy Birthday”; “Many happy returns of the Day: “We pray that you live up to 100 years”- these birthday quotes/wishes and much more are often heard or seen when someone celebrates his/her birthday. But in the case of Yakub Memon, who had spent 21 years behind bars, the sole death-row convict of 12 March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, none of these birthday wishes were conveyed to him or heard, instead he was hanged at 6.43am on July 30, 2015. He got what he deserved for killing nearly 260 people and injuring 700 more in that blast. “Death by hanging”- a perfect 53rd birthday gift for his act. May his soul …….??
It is learnt that a birthday cake was sent to Yakub Memon inside Nagpur Central Prison at midnight. Memon’s family handed over the cake to the jail superintendent. They spent the night hoping for positive news as the Supreme Court opened at 3 am for an unprecedented hearing on the convict’s petition to stop his hanging. Memon’s lawyers had argued that 14 days should be given after his mercy petition was rejected by the President last night. After a 90-minute hearing, the judges rejected the plea saying ample opportunity had been given to Memon after his first mercy petition was rejected last year. Soon after the court verdict, security was tightened outside the Nagpur jail where the hanging took place. Memon’s brother Suleiman and cousin Usman had stayed at a hotel in the city. Memon’s wife and daughter were at their home in Mahim in Mumbai; extra security has also been posted there.
Did you know that Maharashtra government has to spend nearly Rs 22 lakh on Yakub Memon’s hanging-Memon is the only convict whose death penalty was upheld by the apex court. According to an estimate, the Maharashtra government will end up spending about Rs 22 lakh in the whole process including, security arrangements. Few hours before the actual hanging, trials of the hanging had been conducted on a dummy as per the jail manual and the rope required for the noose has been sourced from outside.The primary responsibility of the execution lied with the Nagpur Jail Superintendent Yogesh Desai, who was posted at Yerwada Prison in Pune, when the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks convict Ajmal Kasab was hanged there in November 2012.
Memon, in a last ditch effort had moved a mercy petition to the Maharashtra Governor, but his mercy petition was rejected by the Governor, and so the execution of hanging went on a smooth scale today (30 July 2015). Memon had also moved the Supreme Court challenging the death warrant contending that all his permissible legal remedies have not been exhausted. But all his efforts were in vain. Memon was the only convict whose death penalty was upheld by the apex court.
Again, as a matter of principle I oppose and reject capital punishment by state. There is nothing really to celebrate or cheer when a state puts an individual to death.
as a matter of principle I oppose and reject capital punishment by state. – R.Pai
Mr.Pai,
Do you also oppose the Indian army (on the orders of the State) killing those Pakistani terrorists who infiltrate into our borders with the intention of killing our own people? Fundamentally, what’s the difference between those terrorists and our own home grown rats like Memon?
Henry James asks, “Fundamentally, what’s the difference between those terrorists and our own home grown rats like Memon?” Dear Henry James, the “Home Grown” terrorists sprouted in 1993, for the first time, and this first of its kind episode of the millennium was singularly due to the 1992 demolition of Babri Masjid Disputed Structure, violating the law of the land. The demolition took place with utter disregard of Indian Judiciary. They took the Supreme Court for a ride then, by filing false affidavit saying that it would be a “peaceful Kar Seva” and they demolished the disputed structure, forcibly and… Read more »
Mr.Henry,
I don’t oppose Indian army killing those rats during encounters. I never opposed killing in self-defense or war. However, if we catch some terrorists at the border, we don’t take them to a corner and execute them. The fundamental difference here is of self-defense and judicial sanctioned execution.
Dear readers, ‘Article 21 (right to life and liberty) inheres a right in every prisoner till his last breath and this court will protect that right even if the noose is being tied on the condemned prisoner’s neck.’ — Supreme Court judgment in Shatrughan Chauhan vs Union of India, January 2014. Though very late yet welcoming. Supreme Court verdict in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast case must relieve the families who lost their dear ones. But the verdict has not relieved the pain of those families whose dear ones were killed by rioters and Police during the two-month long bloody… Read more »
Sharia Shaikh,
Stop posting incoherent thoughts from an unknown site. Show some courage and answer a simple question – What’s the punishment for apostasy in your religion?
Dear R.Pai, So you are ok to kill people who have the intent to harm others before they commit the crime but you do not agree with it after they commit it and cause misery to hundreds? If the mumbai police had encountered (shot at sight) Memon before the Mumbai blasts back in 1993 (as long as they were convinced) you would have been OK with it but today, after 22 years, when so many hundreds of families have lost their bread-winners, so many people have lost their loved ones, hundreds of people were permanently disabled you want the Indian… Read more »
When are you planning to land back on planet earth mate? – Mr. James to our Rampa
Hahahaha! :):) A great one mate!
But then, I wonder what’s his fear to land back on good-ole Terra Firma. As things are, his Jhomblass chaddis are in power and then again, his Jhomblass chaddi can always serve as a great parachute and soften his hard-landing on Bharatha Matha. 🙂
“So you are ok to kill people who have the intent to harm others before they commit the crime but you do not agree with it after they commit it and cause misery to hundreds?” – H.James, Dear friend, You are misrepresenting my views. In doing so, you have made it clear that you do not understand the difference between self-defense and judiciary sanctioned punishment. Let me explain again – Police or a soldier will shoot and kill a person when he is seen as a threat. For example, if a person charges at police wielding a knife or gun,… Read more »
I am curious about one issue, How the other 21 persons escaped gallows despite their clemency being rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee?
If you don’t believe me, just check it out.
Maganlal Barela
Seema Gevit and Renuka Scinde
Saibanna Ningappa Natikar
Suresh & Ramji
Surinder Koli
Gurmeet Singh
Dharampal
Simon, Gnanaprakash, Madaiah and Bilavandran
BA Umesh
Sonia and Sanjeev
Shivu and Jadeswami
Ajay Kumar Pal
Sonu Sardar
Jagdish
Holiram Bardoloi
Rajendra Prahladrao Wasnik
MA Anthony
Shiwaji Shankar Alhat