Having exhausted all his legal and Constitutional options, the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts’ convict Yakub Abdul Razzak Memon will go to the gallows at the Nagpur Central Prison on Thursday, which ironically is his 53rd birthday, at or before 7 am. Tight security arrangements have been made in and around the jail premises and elsewhere in Maharashtra.
With President Pranab Mukherjee, Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao and the Supreme Court having cleared the decks for his much-discussed execution, the Nagpur prison authorities on Wednesday evening gave final touches to the elaborate hanging process, which will begin at 3 am on Thursday.
A high alert has been sounded in major cities of the State, including Mumbai, Nashik and Nagpur. Section 144 of CrPC, prohibiting assembly of five or more people, has been imposed in the area around the Nagpur prison and other sensitive areas across the State.
Senior police officials have requested the Muslim religious and community leaders not to make any public statement or speech about Memon after the hanging. “If an inflammatory speech or a remark is made, police would take prompt action,” a senior police officer said.
The Quick Response Teams of police, formed after the 26/11 terrorist attacks, have also been deployed at a few places, including the Al Hussaini building in Mahim area where the Memon family lives. As a preventive measure, police have detained several miscreants, especially those who have police record.
Memon’s last day will begin at 3 am when he is woken up by the authorities, who will first ask him to take a hot water bath. After which, Prison Superintendent, Chief Judicial Magistrate, top police and district officials, including the local medical officer, will visit him in his cell. Chief Judicial Magistrate MM Deshpande will read out the operative part of the trial court’s death warrant to Memon.
After a medical check-up by the visiting team of doctors, Memon will be treated to a breakfast of his choice. later he will be asked to read a religious book of his choice. After he offers prayers, Memon will be taken to the gallows with his hands tied from behind and his face covered with a cotton cloth.
Immediately after Memon’s execution, the prison authorities will communicate the details of his hanging to the State Home department.
Maharashtra’s Additional Director General of Police (prisons) Meera Borwankar arrived from Pune on Wednesday to oversee the preparations for Memon’s hanging. She is being assisted by deputy inspector general of prisons Rajendra Dhamne and jail superintendent Yogesh Desai. Desai, who was earlier the Superintendent of Pune’s Yerwada Central Prison, had supervised the hanging of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, convict in the 26/11 attacks case, two years ago.
Doctors from the Government hospital at Nagpur examined Memon twice during the day on Wednesday, and found that he had refused to eat anything during the last two days. They, however, found him to be “medically fit” for being executed. The same team of doctors will examine Memon once again before he is taken to gallows on Thursday morning.
Memon’s brother Suleman and cousin Usman arrived in Nagpur on the eve of Yakub’s hanging. Talking briefly to media persons after visiting Yakub earlier in the day on Wednesday, Suleman said, “I have full faith in judiciary and Almighty.” He refused to take any questions from reporters.
Sources said that three to four family members of Yakub would be present at the Nagpur Central Prison when he is hanged. Sources said that the Memon family requested the prison authorities to hand over the body of Yakub to them, a request that the state government has accepted.
Yakub’s will be brought by him by his family members to Mumbai where he will be buried either at Mahim or some other place.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting with State Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal and Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria and took stock of the elaborate security arrangements being made to ensure law and order in the state before and after the hanging of Yakub.
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