Nagpur: With barely a week left for the scheduled hanging of Yakub Memon, the sole death-row convict of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, preparations are in full swing at the Nagpur Central Prison with authorities conducting dummy trials.
The Maharashtra government has reportedly approved an expense of Rs 22 lakh for the execution.
An order regarding the July 30 execution has been sent to jail authorities by the government. Authorities have been directed to deploy iron bars around the place of execution.
Inspector General of Police (Prisons) Meeran Borwankar visited the jail this evening to take a review of the preparation for the hanging, which is scheduled for July 30.
"Preparations for Yakub's hanging are going on in full swing. Trials of the hanging are being conducted on a dummy as per the jail manual and the rope required for the noose has been sourced from outside," sources close to the jail authorities said here today.
Borwankar, who boarded a flight from Pune, arrived in the city late this evening and immediately headed to the central jail to take a stock of the arrangements being made.
She is likely to remain in the city for a couple of days to ensure every thing goes as per the plan and laid down procedure on the D-day, sources said.
"However, the primary responsibility of the execution lies with the Nagpur Jail Superintendent Yogesh Desai, who was posted at Yerwada Prison in Pune, when the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks convict Ajmal Kasab was hanged there in November 2012," they added.
Repeated attempts to contact Borwankar did not yield any result.
Memon, in a last ditch effort has moved a mercy petition to the Maharashtra Governor. His mercy petition is being processed by the Home Ministry and will be sent to the Governor soon. However, highly-placed government sources yesterday said the state authorities would go ahead with the execution on July 30.
Memon also moved the Supreme Court challenging the death warrant contending that all his permissible legal remedies have not been exhausted. The petition will come up for hearing on July 27.
The Maharashtra government's department of law and justice apprised Governor CV Rao on the issue and told him that there is no new argument to make in Yakub Memon's fresh plea to the SC.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis has stated that he would make a detailed briefing on July 29, a day before the scheduled hanging.
As many as 257 persons were killed and over 700 injured in the serial blasts in Mumbai on March 12, 1993.
Memon was the only convict whose death penalty was upheld by the apex court.
(With inputs from PTI)
