SC stays execution of Yakub Memon

 The Supreme Court of India on Monday stayed the execution of death row convict Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, a key conspirator with Dawood Ibrahim in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. A bench comprising justices J S Khehar and C Nagappan issued notice to the Maharashtra government and others on the plea of Memon and said that in the meantime ‘execution proceedings will remain stayed’.

The court also referred to a Constitution Bench a plea of Memon that review petitions in death penalty cases should not be heard by the apex court in chamber proceedings and be decided in open court. Senior advocate Upamanyu Hazarika, appearing for Memon, said that a similar plea by a death row convict in the 2000 Red Fort attack case, Mohammed Arif, had been referred to a Constitution Bench. The court then said that this petition be also tagged and heard along with the plea of Red fort attack case convict. 

A bench of justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan had on 21 March, 2013, upheld the death sentence of Memon.

The bench had commuted the death penalty awarded by a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court to 10 others, who had planted RDX explosives-laden vehicles at various places in Mumbai,, to life term by distinguishing their roles from that 

of the Memon.