President rejects Memon's mercy petition

Closing the last avenue of respite for 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon, President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday rejected his mercy plea, sources said.

They said that Memon, whose petition to stay his execution on Thursday was dismissed by the Supreme Court, had filed a fresh mercy petition before the president to escape the gallows. The president took the decision on recommendations of the home ministry.

After hectic consultations on the issue late on Wednesday evening, the home ministry decided to recommend rejection of his mercy plea and Home Minister Rajnath Singh went to Rashtrapati Bhavan to convey the government's decision to Mukherjee.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed his petition that sought a stay on his execution and the quashing of death warrants issued on April 30 and said he had availed all the judicial remedies by way of two review petitions, a curative petition and a mercy petition which was moved by his brother in 2013 and rejected by the president in 2014.

Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao also rejected Memon's plea for clemency on Wednesday.