Yakub’s last chance of survival?

Hardly few hours left in Yakub Memon’s life. But, he is still fighting for life in the Supreme Court. Simultaneously, he also filed fresh mercy petition with President of India on Wednesday morning. Supreme Court Chief justice HL Dattu has constituted a three-judge bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Prafulla C. Pant and Amitava Roy to handle his petition seeking stay and conversion of his capital punishment into life term.

Yakub’s lawyers have made their arguments in the morning session. Supreme bench adjourned this case to post lunch period. It will announce its decision after hearing the arguments of Mukul Rohatigi, the Advocate General of India, representing Maharashtra government in the court. If the apex court bench rejects Yakub Memon’s petition, then his last hope of survival would be the decision to be taken by President Pranab Mukharjee on his mercy petition. But, he is unlikely to review his decision as it would be admitting that his earlier decision of rejecting Yakub Memon’s mercy petition was wrong. So, his life now depends on the Supreme Court verdict to be announced today. If, the apex court bench rejects his petition for stay then it would be end for his life. He will be hanged to death at Nagpur central jail tomorrow.