TIA NEWS /
Several prominent personalities from across the country have submitted petition to President Parnab Mukherjee requesting him waiver of death sentence to 1993 Mumbai bomb blast convict Yakub Abdul Razak Memon.
“We, the undersigned, through this petition urge Your Excellency to stay the imminent execution so that the substantive and fresh grounds raised herein can be considered on merits,” the petition stated.
These personalities include BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha and expelled MP Ram Jethmalani, eminent jurists and persons from different walks of life.
In the new petition urging stay against imminent execution of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, the signatories claimed that there are substantive and fresh grounds that can be considered on merits. Memon is scheduled to be executed on July 30 as per the execution warrant issued by TADA Court.
Besides Sinha and Jethmalani, those, who have signed the petition include MPs like Mani Shankar Aiyar of Congress, Majeed Memon of NCP, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, D Raja of CPI and filmmakers and actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Mahesh Bhatt, M K Raina and Tushar Gandhi.
Retired judges like Justice Panachand Jain, Justice H S Bedi, Justice P B Sawant, noted lawyer Indira Jaising have signed the petition while others include academicians like Irfan Habib, Arjun Dev, DN Jha, and social activists Aruna Roy, Jean Dreze and John Dayal.
Memon’s wife appeals mercy
Earlier, Rahin Memon, wife of Yakub, appealed to the judiciary and the government to commute her husband’s capital punishment to life term . “I have full faith in the judiciary. I ask the Government of India for pardon for Yakub so that his death sentence can be commuted,” Rahin said.
Rahin said she believed that her husband was innocent and had willingly surrendered to the authorities. Raheen said she would be happy even if he was allowed to serve a life sentence. “I personally believe that (only) someone who is innocent will surrender. But still, if they feel he is not innocent,” she said.