Revealing expenditure on Yakub against national security: Maharashtra

Mumbai, Oct 1: The BJP-led Maharashtra government has refused to provide any information about the expenses incurred on 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon, who was hanged in Nagpur jail in July this year, on the grounds that doing so could harm the security and unity of the country.

In the reply given to RTI activist Anil Galgali, the state Home Department has said that providing information on the query will affect the sovereignty, unity and security of the country. Galgali had sought information from the state government on all types of expenses incurred on Yakub Memon, right from his arrest up to his hanging in July this year.

In reply, Public Information Officer and Desk officer of the Home Department Deepak Zadiye said information related to Yakub Memon has been refused under clause 8(1)(c) of the RTI Act, 2005 by the Maharashtra government. "I was told that under the clause any such information that will disturb the sovereignty, unity and security of the country, is not provided," Galgali said, adding that he has filed an appeal on the order with Deputy Secretary J L Pawra.

The activist said during the Congress-NCP rule in 2012, information on a similar query related to Kasab had been provided. Mohammed Ajmal Kasab the lone terrorist apprehended alive during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks was hanged to death on November 21, 2012.

After his hanging, the government spent a total of Rs 9,573 for the burial. Also, since his arrest on 26 November 2008 midnight from Girgaon chowpatty till his hanging on November 21, 2012, the government incurred a total of Rs 28.50 crore. The information provided included expenses on Kasab's food, security, medical expenses, clothing as well as expenses on construction of special security walls and also the expenses on his burial.

The segregation of expenses showed that the state had to spend around Rs 1.5 crore on security provided by itself and had to incur an expenses of Rs 21.68 crore on security provided by the central government force Indo Tibetan Border Force (ITBP). It was also revealed from the information provided at that time that an expense of Rs 125 was incurred on Kasab's food on the day of his arrest and Rs 33 was incurred for food on the day of his execution.

PTI