The last two hangings that happened in Maharashtra

Two of India's last four hangings happened in Maharashtra but both were different - while one was a top-secret operation another was a matter of debate.
The two who were hanged in the Maharashtra jails in last decade are - Mohammed Ajmal Kasab (13 July 1987 - 21 November 2012) and Yaqub Memon (30 July 1962 - 30 July 2015).

A Pakistani, Kasab (25) was the Lashkar-e-Taiba fidayeen, who was the lone terrorist to be captured alive during the 26-29 November 2008 attacks, popularly referred to as 26/11.
Memon (53), a chartered accountant by profession, was convicted for the conspiracy behind the 12 March 1993 serial blasts.

While Kasab was hanged in Pune jail, Memon in Nagpur jail - both overseen by Meeran Borwankar, then Inspector General (Prisons), Maharashtra. In both cases - though a difference of 4 years - the team composition was nearly the same.

Kasab's hanging was a highly top-secret operation with only a handful of people aware, while Memon was hanged after a series of mercy pleas in courts and a midnight hearing of the Supreme Court that went till wee hours, which finally stamped the execution.

"Both the cases had its own issues, one needed secrecy, other needed handling of the situation," said a source, who had monitored the happenings. Kasab's hanging was titled 'Operation X' was one of the best-kept secrets which the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and then Home Minister late RR Patil oversaw.

Besides them, a handful of them who were aware of Operation-X were then Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal, then Mumbai Police chief Dr Satya Pal Singh, Borwankar and a few others.

“Secrecy was utmost...there are several reasons, firstly there were intelligence inputs that there was a threat to his life," Patil had then said.

So secret was the operation that the ITBP company, which guarded the cell of Kasab, at the Arthur Road Prison, here, was not aware that he has been taken away. Even the hangman was not aware, whom he was to hang in the Pune jail.

On 19 November, Kasab was informed in Hindi and Urdu about the execution and his signature was taken on the death warrant.

Before he was taken for hanging, he told then Assistant Commissioner of Police of Crime Branch, Ramesh Mahale: "sahab, aap jeet gaye, mai haar gaya" (Sir, you won, I lost). Kasab's mortal remains was buried inside the jail.

On the other hand, in Memon's case, there a big debate in the media on the very issue of the need for capital punishment.

Memon was the younger brother of Tiger Memon, the chief conspirator of Mumbai blasts and a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

According to his last wish, after the Supreme Court gave a go-ahead, Yakub was allowed to speak to his daughter Zubeda, over the phone. He also had a very emotional meeting with his elder brother Suleiman Memon who visited the jail. Yakub's wife Raheen and daughter too met him days before the hanging. He asked her to pursue MBA from some reputed institution.

Himself inclined towards studies, he was an M.Com and Chartered Accountant and while in prison he has completed MA in English literature and political science. "Mai behgunah hoon (I am innocent)," he had reportedly told the jail staff before the execution on his birthday. Later, his body was taken to Mumbai where it was laid to rest at Bada Kabrastan.