Top prison officer reviews preparations for Memon's hanging

Nagpur, Jul 25: Additional Director General (ADG) of Police (prisons) Meera Borwankar this morning visited the Central Prison here to supervise the ongoing preparations for the scheduled hanging of Yakub Memon, the only death row convict in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, on July 30.

Borwankar arrived here last night and was briefed by Deputy Inspector General (prisons) Rajendra Dhamne and the superintendent of Nagpur prison Yogesh Desai.

Desai had overseen the execution of Ajmal Kasab, the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks convict, when he was posted at Yerwada prison in Pune. Borwankar declined to talk to the media, saying the officials had been directed not to speak on the subject.

However, a police source said that the ADG was likely to camp here for a couple of days to ensure foolproof arrangements. After the Supreme Court dismissed his curative petition, Memon has submitted a mercy petition to Maharashtra Governor.

He has also moved the apex court afresh for a stay to the execution. Yesterday the home department of Maharashtra government sanctioned Rs 22 lakh by issuing a government resolution to install an overhead grill-ceiling at the 'hanging yard' cell in Nagpur prison in view of Memon's likely execution.

PTI