MHA forwards Yakub mercy plea to President, wants it rejected

In October last year, Yakub applied for presidential pardon after which a report from the state government was sought by the MHA. A senior ministry official said, “There have been no new facts which emerged either from investigation or examination of case files that could raise any holes in the prosecution theory. The apex court has upheld the conviction and the crime is definitely among the rarest of the rare.”

A chartered accountant by profession, Yakub was arrested from the Kathmandu airport in 1994. He was later described by the TADA court as the mastermind who played a key role in the conspiracy which “warranted death penalty”. The multiple blasts had claimed 257 lives and left 713 injured.

The CBI, which probed the blasts cases, alleged that the conspiracy was hatched by Dawood Ibrahim and other absconding persons

MHA sources said the president may either ask the ministry to review its suggestions or go ahead with its recommendation. In case a review is sought, the government may seek another report from the state government, which may also include the medical condition of Yakub. After taking over as President, Mukherjee has cleared several pending mercy petitions, including that of Mumbai 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab, who was hanged in November 2012.