SC judge in Yakub case gets death threat, security stepped up

Delhi police said the threat to Justice Dipak Misra is of a 'very serious nature'

A death threat has been made against Justice Dipak Misra, one of the three Supreme Court judges who turned down the final plea against hanging of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon, following which his security has been stepped up.

Delhi police has registered a case after a threat letter was found near the back entrance of the judge's house at Tughlak Road on Wednesday. They said the threat to Misra is of a "very serious nature" and have so far ruled out that someone may have played a prank by sending the anonymous letter.

Justice Misra's personal security officers were doing a security check, when they found the letter. Senior police officers were immediately informed. Special Commissioner (law and order) Deepak Mishra visited his residence and did a security audit, police said.

It is believed that those behind threat letter did a recce of Misra's residence.

"Suspects knew that security personnel are posted outside Justice Misra's residence and CCTV cameras are installed outside his office. They knew that back entrance of Misra's residence has thick cover of trees and CCTVs can't capture someone throwing the letter in the compound," a senior officer said.

Apart from Delhi Police, personnel from central paramilitary force have been posted at his residence.

"We have increased the security cover of Misra's residence. Also anti-terror security drill has been carried out in entire New Delhi area," the officer said.

Police said that soon after Memon's hanging in the wee hours of July 30, security for Justice Misra and his two colleagues was increased.

The three judges rejected Memon's eleventh hour appeal to stop his hanging in an unprecedented hearing that took place in the apex court in the middle of the night.

Memon was convicted in 2007 as the driving spirit of the deadly attack in Mumbai in 1993 in which 257 people were killed as bombs exploded back to back at landmarks across the financial capital.