This refers to the editorial, “No mercy for a terrorist” (July 30). After a long legal battle, 1993 Mumbai blasts mastermind Yakub Memon was hanged on July 30. Justice was delivered to the family of the 257 persons who died in the blast. Yakub Memon was allowed to avail of every legal recourse that was available. After President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy petition on July 29, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan along with two others called on the Chief Justice of India at midnight with a petition to postpone Yakub Memon’s hanging for 14 days.
In an unprecedented move, a three-judge Bench heard the plea in the night and rejected the petition at 4:50 am saying that ample opportunities were given to Yakub to avail all remedies before the court and it would be a “travesty of justice” to stay the death warrant. The Supreme Court has held our judicial system in high esteem and set a landmark in justice delivery, leaving no scope to say that full justice has not been done to the convict.