On the eve of the hearing of ’93 Mumbai blast death row convict Yakub Memon’s appeal by the Supreme Court, a group of eminent citizens – including politicians, actors, jurists and retired judges – submitted a fresh mercy petition to President Pranab Mukherjee, urging him to pardon the death sentence.
Mahesh Bhat is one of the signatories to the mercy plea, along with Naseeruddin Shah. Eminent jurists like K T S Tulsi and Ram Jethmalani, as well as CPM politburo member Brinda Karat and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson and social activist Tushar Gandhi, want the President to reconsider the rejection of pardon for Yakub.
Memon is scheduled to be hanged on July 30 as per the execution warrant issued by TADA court. He has been convicted for his role in the March 12, 1993 serial blasts that claimed 257 lives, injured 713 others and damaged property to the tune of Rs 27 crore.