SC rejects Memon's plea for review of his death sentence

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the plea by 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast mastermind Yaqub Abdul Razak Memon for a review of his death sentence.

Memon had sought the recall of March 21, 2013, apex court order upholding his death sentence by the special court.

The apex court bench of Justice Anil R. Dave, Justice J. Chelameswar and Justice Kurian Joseph in its order said the review plea is dismissed. The court had reserved its verdict March 25, 2015.

This is the second time that Memon's plea for review of the verdict awarding him death sentence has been dismissed.

Memon's plea for the recall of his death sentence verdict was rejected earlier too, but it was taken up once again as the Constitution bench by its September 2, 2014, judgment said that review pleas in death sentence cases would be heard in the open court by a bench of three judges.

The Constitution bench also ruled: "It will also apply where a review petition is already dismissed but the death is not executed so far. In such cases, the petitioners can apply for the reopening of their review petition within one month from the date of this judgment."

The apex court on June 2, 2014, suspended the execution of the death sentence which was further extended on September 26, 2014, after it issued notice to the Maharashtra government on Memon's petition for an open court hearing of his plea for the review of the Supreme Court's verdict upholding his death sentence.