Yakub Memon- Hanged to Death

  On July 30, 2015, at around 6.30 AM, the Nagpur Central Jail witnessed the hanging of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, an Indian terrorist and chartered accountant, who was convicted over his involvement in his 1993 Bombay bombings by Special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Court on 27 July 2007. He was the brother of one of the prime suspects in the bombings, Tiger Memon. His appeals and petitions for clemency were all rejected and was executed by hanging on his 53rd birthday His case was one of the boiling topics of debate in the recent past. People from different strata of the society had different opinions on the matter. Some of them were waiting impatiently for Memon's execution, some were of the opinion that the taking of life by the state must be subject to the highest levels of constitutional scrutiny and to deny someone fundamental rights on the basis of public demands for revenge would cast serious questions over our claim of being a modern constitutional democracy. When the world debated on this, he was hanged to death without any second thought.

  In my opinion, it was not safe to delay his execution because if we keep on delaying, then his companions may start plotting for his release, for example- hijack a plane and demand the release of the accused. There are other arguments like his statements will be vital to arrest the masterminds behind it. But, what new information can a person who was jailed for more than 10 years provide?. Moreover, they set out for these crimes with strong intentions and promises of not sharing the details of others. It is also said that in a democratic country like India, capital punishment is not recommended but I would oppose it because I personally feel that only if the Government  is strict in punishments given to the culprits that the people who had to suffer because of them would trust in the law and order. If the criminals responsible for the death of our near and dear ones are enjoying a comfortable life in the jail, we would gradually lose the trust in the Government. Such instances may even lead to the budding of new criminals in the country. If the Government fails in maintaining the law and order and punishing the culprits, there is a chance of frustrated citizens beginning to take law in their hands.Thus, I feel that the capital punishment should not be banned in India.

 

  Though it was not a cruel move from the side of Indian Government in hanging Yakub Memon, the responsible authorities should not relax but move forward with the case and find the other conspirators for whom, may be, Yakub Memon had become a prey. The Bombay blast case file should not be closed with the Yakub Memon hanging chapter. Like the legal maxim says, "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied", the common people should not feel that their justice is denied because of the delayed actions.


(2015, September)