Yakub Abdul Razzak Memon has been hanged to death for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. While the case dragged on for several years, what happened in the last 24 hours is almost unprecedented in the annals of Indian judiciary. The court opened early Thursday morning at around 3:20 AM with a three-judge bench of Dipak Misra, Amitav Roy and Prafulla Pant hearing the petition of Memon's lawyer and finally after nearly 90 minutes rejecting it.
Below are the details of the late night legal action in the case:
6:43 am Yakub Memon hanged to death in Nagpur Central Prison.
5:07 am Tragic mistake by Supreme Court in hanging Yakub Memon, says his lawyer Anand Grover
4:37 am Yakub Memon had accepted his fate when his 2013 mercy plea was rejected: Supreme Court
4:22 am Even before ink of previous judgement has dried, a new petition comes assailing the justifiability of the execution warrant: Supreme Court
4:16 am No error in death warrant issued to Yakub Memon: Supreme Court
4:16 am Supreme Court upholds death warrant issued to Yakub Memon.
4:15 am The three-judge bench to pronounce the judgement shortly.
4:12 am If I get the copy of the order rejecting Yakub Memon's plea, I will challenge it, says his lawyer.
4:10 am "Will you challenge the rejection of mercy plea," Justice Misra asks Yakub Memon's lawyer.
4:05 am Advocate Anand Grover demands 14-day time for Yakub Memon to meet his family, to make his will and to make peace with god.
4:04 am The court should not quash a death warrant upheld 10 hours ago: Attorney General
4:00 am Unlike Shatrughan Chauhan case, why no legal aid has been provided to Yakub Memon after rejection of his mercy plea. Why the copy of order rejecting Yakub's plea not given, asks Yakub's counsel.
3:58 am Yakub Memon is abusing the system by filing repeated mercy pleas. He can go on making representations and delay procedure: Attorney General
3:55 am It is incorrect to say it is the first mercy plea filed by Yakub Memon as he did not distance himself from the plea filed his brother: Attorney General
3:53 am If Executive has not given mercy, then the death warrant upholds: Attorney General
3:52 am The Attorney General begins the argument.
3:30 am Yakub Memon's lawyer Anand Grover seeks 14-day stay on his execution. He says the mercy petition rejected by the Maharashtra Governor was filed by Yakub's brother and the one rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee was filed by Yakub. He cites Shatrughan Chauhan judgement of 2014.
2:30 am Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi also present in the court.
2:30 am The Supreme Court begins hearing in plea filed by Yakub Memon's lawyers. Justices Amitav Roy, Dipak Misra and Prafulla Pant are hearing the plea. It is the same three-judge bench which turned Memon's plea seeking a reconsideration of his death sentence.
2:25 amSenior lawyers Prashant Bhushan, Anand Grover and Nitya Ramakrishnan are appearing for Yakub Memon.
2:20 am People are protesting outside the Supreme Court against last minute hearing of Yakub Memon's mercy plea.
2:15 am Chief Justice of India HL Dattu and other judges on the way to Supreme Court.
2:10 am A constable of Nagpur Central Jail hands over a letter to Memon's brother at a hotel in Nagpur.
01.35 am The Supreme Court will hear the new petition at 2:30 AM. A new three-judge bench may be set up to hear the petition.
01.30 am Those meeting CJI HL Dattu seeking a stay on Yakub Memon's death sentence include senior lawyers Prashant Bhushan, Vrinda Grover and Yakub's counsel Raju Ramachandran.
01.30 am The fate of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts convict, hangs in balance as his lawyers are arguing for a stay on his execution with the Chief Justice of India HL Dattu at the latter's residence in New Delhi in a late night hearing.
Memon is scheduled to be hanged at 7 AM at the Nagpur Central Jail after his mercy petition was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday.
Sources said that the President studied the Supreme Court order before rejecting Memon's plea. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar and Attorney General AK Rohatgi were also present with him.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh also met the President and presented government's view that Memon's plea should be rejected at the earliest.
In yet another last ditch action, Yakub Memon's lawyers moved Supreme Court seeking stay on his execution for 14 days. 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, Maharashtra Governor Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao and three-member bench of the Supreme Court turned down his plea seeking a reconsideration of his death sentence.
The apex court on Wednesday upheld the death warrant against Memon and said it is correct, and the dismissal of his curative petition by three senior most Supreme Court judges is in accordance with the law.
Memon will be hanged on his 53rd birthday as per the TADA court's order even as prison sources said preparations were completed to carry out the execution amid tight security. Meanwhile, Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed outside the jail and security has been hiked near Yakub Memon's home in Mumbai.
Memon's cousin Usman and Suleiman reached Nagpur and met jail authorities. His wife and daughter haven't come to Nagpur. Nearly 500 preventive detentions have taken place in Mumbai and Nagpur to maintain law and order situation.
Speaking on the case, senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam said, "The Supreme Court has rejected all the contentions raised by Yakub Memon."
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Memon, in his plea, had claimed he was suffering from schizophrenia since 1996 and has remained behind bars for nearly 20 years, much more than a person serving life term has to spend in jail.
He had sought commutation of death penalty, contending that a convict cannot be awarded life term and the death sentence for the same offence. The apex court had on June 2, 2014 stayed the execution of Memon and referred his plea to a Constitution Bench as to whether review petitions in death penalty cases be heard in an open court or in chambers.
The apex court had on April 9, 2014 dismissed Memon's petition seeking review of his death sentence which was upheld on March 21, 2013.
Memon is convicted for criminal conspiracy under Section 120-B of the IPC, aiding, abetting and facilitating a terrorist act, illegal possession and transportation of arms and ammunition and possessing explosives with intent to endanger lives.
According to investigating agency, Tiger Memon got Yakub involved in planning and plotting the serial blasts that killed at least 257 people and injured about 700 on March 12, 1993.
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