The body of Yakub Memon, who was hanged at Nagpur Central Prison at 6:43 am on Thursday for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was buried in a graveyard in Mahim on Thursday evening amidst heavy security.
Yakub’s body was interred at the Bada Kabristan in Marine Lines, where his father had also been buried. His body was handed over to his brother Suleman and cousin Usman, who had been camping in Nagpur since Wednesday, after the postmortem.
The execution of Yakub, whom the Supreme Court had described as the “driving spirit” behind the 12 coordinated blasts on March 12, 1993, that left 257 dead and 713 wounded, was preceded by a vigorous last-gasp attempt by his lawyers to prevent the hanging that continued through Wednesday and spilled over to the early hours of today.
In an unprecedented event in the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court rejected his petition seeking a stay on execution and found no infirmities in the apex court’s dismissal of his curative petition.
Memon, woke up at 3.30 am on Thursday, was permitted a warm bath.
He offered namaz and read the Holy Quran at the Nagpur central jail before his scheduled hanging.
He was provided a set of fresh clothes and offered a breakfast of his choice.
Memon was sent to the gallows — on his 54th birthday on Thursday — after several of his court appeals and clemency petitions were rejected by various court.
Like every death row convict, Yakub was asked about his last wish before being executed.
“I want to meet my daughter” – this is what the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict’s last wish was.
Yakub’s brother informed that jail authorities arranged for Memon to talk to his 21-year-old daughter over phone.
Yakub was very happy and relieved after talking to his daughter, his brother informed.
Yakub’s last wish was to speak to his daughter Zubeida ahead of his hanging.
That wish was fulfilled by jail authorities who made Yakub speak to his daughter over phone.
However, Yakub would regret not celebrating his daughter’s 22nd birthday which falls tomorrow, exactly a day after his birthday.
