[Just in] Supreme Court dismisses Yakub Memon's petition challenging his execution

The Supreme court has dismissed Yakub Memon's petition to stop his execution.

Yakub had asked the court to stop his hanging scheduled for 30 July, on grounds that rules were violated.

The chartered accountant is to be hanged at a jail in Nagpur at 7 am on Thursday - his 54th birthday - for his role in the deadly terror attack in which 257 people were killed in blasts at various landmarks across Mumbai.

This morning, Yakub filed a fresh mercy plea with President Pranab Mukherjee, who had rejected it last year. The convict's lawyer says the previous petition was filed by one of his brothers on his behalf.

Also read- Why Yakub must not be hanged

Some of the victims of the 1993 blast met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today and said that Yakub must be hanged without delay. "I have signatures of 1,600 people - given in just two hours - who all want Yakub to be hanged," said Tushar Deshmukh, who lost his mother in the blasts.A two-judge bench yesterday differed on whether to stop Yakub's execution.

Also read- Walking the tightrope: Here's the two side of the Yakub Memon debate

Justice Anil Dave said it must not be stopped. The other judge, Justice Kurien Joseph said that there had been a clear violation of procedure and "such technicality should not stand in the way to protect the life of a person."Of the 11 sentenced to death for the terror attack, Yakub was the only convict not granted mercy.

Also read- Yakub case: serious procedural error, violation of fundamental rights