NEW DELHI: The Indian Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Mumbai bomb blasts convict Yaqoob Memon’s death warrant petition.
Earlier, Yaoob Memon files mercy petition with Indian President, Supreme Court to decide on his execution today.
A three-judge Supreme Court bench is also set to decide on Yakub’s fate today after it was referred to a larger bench following a split verdict by Justices Anil R Dave and Kurian Joseph.
Yaqoob Memon is the only person sentenced to death for India’s deadliest bomb attack that killed at least 257 people, but his case has divided opinion in India, with several eminent figures saying the sentence is too harsh.
Police consider Memon’s brother, “Tiger” Memon, and mafia don Dawood Ibrahim to be the main masterminds behind the attack, carried out to avenge the destruction of Babri mosque by Hindu extremists in 1992. Both remain in hiding.
