Countdown for Yakub Memon's hanging starts at Nagpur jail

Nagpur, Jul 29: With the Supreme Court rejecting relief to Yakub Memon, the countdown for the hanging of the only death-row convict of 1993 Mumbai blasts case tomorrow has started at the Nagpur Central Prison here.

Memon is all set to be hanged to death as per the TADA court's order tomorrow on his 53rd birthday. All the preparations were complete, prison sources said. Top police officials today visited the prison to supervise the security.

Additional Director General of Police (prisons) Meera Borwankar arrived from Pune to oversee the preparations. She is being assisted by deputy inspector general of prisons Rajendra Dhamne and jail superintendent Yogesh Desai.

Desai had overseen the hanging of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab at Yerwada jail in Pune during his stint there.

Commissioner of Police S P Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police Rajwardhan and zonal deputy commissioner Ishu Sindhu visited the jail in the evening. A Quick Response Team (QRT) of police has already been deployed near the premises.

Though no intelligence inputs have been received about any possible incident, police are not taking any chances, sources said.

Section 144 of CrPC prohibiting assembly of five or more people has been imposed in the area around the prison. Memon's brother Suleman and cousin Usman arrived here today.

"We have faith in Allah," was all they said when accosted by reporters outside the hotel. According to the jail manual, Memon will be woken up early in the morning, allowed to take a bath and offered some light refreshment.

He would be given religious books to read or recite prayers.

PTI