Nagpur News: Yakub Memon, who was hanged this morning for playing key role in Mumbai serial blasts, appeared to resign himself to fate on Thursday morning soon after learning that the Supreme Court bench had eventuall dismissed his last plea.
Earlier, he spent 40 minutes consoling his family at Nagpur’s central prison, asking them to submit to ‘naseeb’.
The 1993 blasts convict, who was hanged just before 7 am on Thursday, was shifted in small hours to the ‘condemned cell’, where he was out of sight of other prisoners and is supposed to mentally prepare himself for his final moments.
At 4 am, a magistrate went to ask him if he admitted to his guilt.
According to sources in the Nagpur jail, Yakub didn’t appear perturbed or agitated throughout the night.
“Yakub did not lose composure, perhaps giving in to destiny. It seemed he was prepared for the worst. He patiently heard about the verdict and then retired to his cell,” the sources added.
When jail authorities offered to allow his family to meet him for ‘mulaqat’ on Wednesday evening, Yakub agreed. In the evening, Yakub’s wife, daughter and brother met him for the last time in a special room inside the jail.
The last meeting between Yakub and family was understandably an emotional affair. While the family members could not control their emotions, Yakub – who appeared somewhat shaken then – tried to maintain his composure and consoled them.
“They were left inside the room, but under watch,” the sources said.
Yakub was later subjected to a medical test and found mentally and physically fit, police sources said. After this, a Bomb Detection & Disposal Squad was sent to sanitise the place.
5 maoists observed fast
Sources also said that five Maoists lodged at the Nagpur Central Jail were on fast in support of Yakub’s mercy petition.
“He was well behaved. He didn’t discuss anything with anyone in the jail. But in the past few weeks, he started getting desperate to meet family members for updates regarding his curative petition. There were many such meetings in the past week and after each meeting, he looked more disturbed. But before the next meeting, he again looked charged,” sources in Nagpur jail said.
