(Image source from: })

The Maharashtra state government has confirmed that India executed Yakub Memon, who financed the deadly 1993 Mumbai bombings, at 7am on Thursday at Nagpur. This is the third execution that was carried out by India within three years.

Yakub Memon was a former accountant who was convicted for his involvement in a series of co-ordinated terrorist attacks in 1993, which took away hundreds of lives in Mumbai.

Yakub’s last minute request for postponement of execution for two weeks was rejected by the Supreme Court of India. Sources said that Memon wanted two-week time to settle earthly affairs and make peace with God before leaving this world.

However, there had been little opposition to the hanging and around 300 prominent citizens had requested President of India for alteration of Memon’s sentence to life in prison.

Message to Terrorists world

Talking about the execution, a spokesperson belonging to the ruling BJP said that it was necessary to hang this plotter to death so as to send a message to terrorists across the world that India is not soft to terror.

Linked to serial blasts in Mumbai in March 1993, Memon was found to have helped the bombers financially and logistically. The bombings took place in the stock exchange, the offices of Air India, a luxury hotel besides other target locations in Mumbai.

Memon was the only one of 11 convicted people to have death sentence upheld on appeal, while the sentences on others were altered to life-time imprisonment.

Yakub Met close relatives with moist eyes

A day ago, Yakub Memon wept when he met his close relatives, sources in Nagpur Central Prison in Maharashtra said.
NDTV has quoted sources as reportedly saying that, Yakub said his farewells to fellow prisoners and jail officials. He rejected medical-checkups by jail doctors, which is a rule for death convicts. Early this morning he read Quran.

-Sumana