New Delhi: Challenging his death warrant, 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon today appealed to the President for mercy, for the second time, just a day before his hanging. Currently, the hearing on his plea is underway in the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Dattu yesterday said, “I will constitute a bench tomorrow.” As Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi informed the bench about the split verdict earlier in the day, with common order asking the court registry to place before the Chief Justice for reference the matter to be listed before an appropriate bench.
Senior counsel Raju Ramachandran, appearing for Yakub Memon, urged Chief Justice Dattu to grant stay of execution of Memon slated for tomorrow. However, the court did not pass any order on its plea for stay of execution.
Earlier yesterday, Supreme Court judges Anil R Dave and Kurien Joseph took differing stands on Memon’s plea challenging his death penalty and urged the chief justice to set up ‘an appropriate bench’ to hear the case.
Recounting the sequence of the court proceedings from 1993 till the curative petition was dismissed on July 21, 2015, Justice Dave dismissed Memon’s plea. But Justice Kurien found fault with the composition of the bench which heard the curative petition, and stayed the operation of the death warrant issued by the TADA court on April 30.
