1993 'Mumbai' bomb plotter convict Yakub Memon hanged in India

NEW DELHI: Hours after Indian President had rejected a clemency plea and the Indian supreme court rejected last-ditch pleas to stay the execution of Yakub Memon over his role in the country's worst-ever terror attack, he was hanged in Nagpur jail on Thursday morning, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

Lawyers and activists had petitioned on behalf of Memon to Chief Justice HL Dattu after Indian President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected a clemency plea late on Wednesday.

In an unprecedented move, a three-member bench of the Indian supreme court met within the court at 3am to hear arguments from Memon's lawyers and the state on delaying his execution.

His lawyers had argued that executions can only to be carried out after seven days have passed following the rejection of a mercy petition. But in the pre-dawn hearing, the court ruled that because his first mercy petition had been rejected last year, the execution met the required rules.

Ruling that a "stay of (the) death warrant could be a travesty of justice", the court said that Memon had "ample time after (the) rejection of first mercy petition to prepare himself for the last and final meeting with family members and for all other purposes", the PTI news agency reported.

Anand Grover, who was among the group who petitioned on Memon's behalf, condemned the supreme court's decision, however, terming it as a "tragic mistake and a tragic decision".

The failure of the 11th hour appeals mean Memon will be hanged on his 53rd birthday in Nagpur in the western state of Maharashtra.

Memon was convicted of plotting a series of coordinated bomb attacks in India's commercial capital Mumbai in 1993 that killed 257 people, the deadliest attacks ever to hit the country.

Authorities in Nagpur have barred people from assembling outside the jail and beefed up security in sensitive areas in Mumbai. He is expected to be hanged between 6:30-7:00am.

Memon was the only one of 11 people convicted to have his death sentence upheld on appeal.

Yakub Memon to be buried in Mumbai

Yakub Memon is likely to be buried at the Marine Lines Muslim Cemetery in Mumbai, The Economic Times reported.

After the hanging was carried out and all other formalities completed, authorities handed over Memon’s body to his family and it will now be brought back to Mumbai, where security has been beefed up in order to tackle any possible street protests.

According to reports, Memon’s father Abdul Razzak, along with some other family members who passed away earlier, were buried in the Chananwadi Muslim cemetery, which is where Memon will be laid to rest.

“Security has been reviewed and tightened in and around the Chandanwadi Muslim cemetery. We are doing our job,” a senior police officer said.

Indian president rejects clemency for 1993 bombings plotter Yakub Memon

India's president on Wednesday rejected a last-ditch plea to stay the execution of Yakub Memon for his role in the country's worst ever attack, Press Trust of India reported.

President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his petition for clemency just hours after the Supreme Court in New Delhi ruled that he should die for his role in attacks that killed hundreds of people in Mumbai in 1993.

Shortly after lawyers for Memon, the only one of 11 people convicted to have his death sentence upheld on appeal, and activists met with India's chief justice to ask for a 14-day delay, local media reported.