1993 Mumbai blasts: SC stays execution of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon

The Supreme Court today further stayed the execution of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Abdul Razak Memon and issued notice to the Maharashtra government on a plea filed by him seeking an open court hearing of his petition for review of its verdict.

A bench headed by Justice T S Thakur extended the June 2 order suspending the death sentence awarded to Memon and asked the Maharashtra government to file its response on his plea.

Taking a cue from the judgement passed on September 2 by a constitution bench of the apex court, Memon said in his plea that according to the verdict, his review plea should be heard in an open court.

The constitution bench, in its verdict, had held that years spent behind bars during prolonged judicial proceedings cannot be a ground for converting death sentence to life imprisonment and review plea of the condemned prisoners must be given an open court hearing.

Memon is the third death row convict after Nithari rapist-cum-serial killer Surinder Koli who had approached the apex court seeking hearing of their respective review pleas in an open court. The apex court, on September 12, had extended the stay on execution of Koli till October 28 on his plea seeking review of its verdict upholding his conviction and death sentence in one of the murder cases.

During hearing on Koli's plea, the advocates appearing for the convict had also referred to the September 2 verdict.

Earlier in the week, another death row convict from Chhattisgarh, Sonu Sardar, has sought a similar relief.