Eminent people seek clemency

More than 200 people, including eminent jurists and politicians cutting across party lines, have appealed to President Pranab Mukherjee to consider the mercy plea against the execution of the death sentence of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon.

Among signatories to the fresh petition include BJP leader and former Union minister Shatrughan Sinha, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar and several film personalities, academics and retired judges.

“Grant of mercy in this case will send out a message that while this country will not tolerate acts of terrorism, as a nation we are committed to equal application of the power of mercy and values of forgiveness and justice,” said the signatories. Memon is scheduled to face the gallows on July 30 in the Nagpur Central Jail.

On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear Memon’s plea against the execution contending that the death warrant was issued before he could have exhausted the legal remedies available to him and when his curative petition was pending consideration by the court.

“Yakub Memon was not given advance notice of the death warrant hearing and as a result of which he and his lawyers could not participate and contest the issuance of the death warrant. Lack of hearing makes the present death warrant void,” the petitioners argued.

They also cited commutation of death sentences of convicts in cases like assassins of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, aides of slain sandalwood smuggler Veerappan and 1993 Delhi blast convict Devinder Singh Bhullar.

Film personalities Naseeruddin Shah and Mahesh Bhatt, retired judges like Panachand Jain, H S Bedi, P B Sawant, H Suresh, K P Siva Subramaniam, S N Bhargava, K Chandru, Nagmohan Das and noted lawyer Indira Jaising are signatories to the petition. Others include academics like Irfan Habib, Arjun Dev, D N Jha, and social activists Aruna Roy, Jean Dreze and John Dayal.