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Yakub Memon, death row convict in the March 12,1993 bomb blast case, was hanged in Nagpur and later buried here.
Fearing reprisals, the police had intensified the security across the city. About 500 persons were taken in preventive custody, said the police. Shops remained closed in Mahim, which houses Memon’s residence. However, in some parts of the city schools and colleges and other establishments functioned as usual.
The police accepted the Memon family’s request for his body to be taken to his house. The police had restrained the family from taking out a funeral procession, as section 144 was imposed in Mumbai and Nagpur.
After keeping the body for two hours, it was taken to Bada Kabrastan in New Marine Lines, south Mumbai, for burial. The police had issued an advisory, asking media not to show visuals of the body or live coverage of the burial.
State Home Secretary KP Bakshi, who was awake the entire night, said the stipulated procedures in the jail manual were followed to hang Yakub in the Nagpur jail. He said Memon was given a notice on execution 16 days before. The Supreme Court upheld the government's move in this regard and rejected Memon’s second plea for additional 14 days.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis closetted with senior police officials and was in constant touch with central ministers, including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Bakshi said Memon was quite calm and composed before he was hanged.
Earlier, after exhausting all the possible legal options following the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss his petition, Memon had left his fate to god, according to a jail official.
The jail official said before he was hanged, he had received a cake from his family on his birthday on Thursday. Memon did not show any nervousness and followed instructions of the jail authorities.
Besides, Memon had expressed his last will to have a telephonic conversation with his daughter Zubheda. It was quickly accepted.
