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Lethallotteryorjustdeserts?TheHindu

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OPINIONLEAD

August5,2015

Lethallotteryorjustdeserts?
SanjayHegde

Capitalpunishment,now,evenmorethanbefore,appearstobealethallottery.Actualexecutionisdependentonvariablefactorslikethe
personalinclinationsofjudges,administratorsandthepoliticalenvironmentofthemoment
ThelateGoolamE.Vahanvati,AttorneyGeneralforIndia,wasagreathost.Heoncehostedalunchforhislawyerfriendsathisofficial
residence,whereamongthechoicestfoodanddrink,therewasafullroastgoatputoutforconsumption.IheardalawyerpullingGoolams
legbyremarkinginHindi,VeryunjustGoolam,veryunjustsomanylawyers,andonlyonebakra(goat).Iwasremindedofthisincidentas
IreviewedtheswirlofdebatessurroundingtheYakubMemoncase.Itseemedtomethattherewerejusttoomanylegaldoctrinesinvolved
andonlyonescapegoat.
Anunequalfilter
Thefirstdoctrinalquestionwastheveryvalidityofthedeathsentenceitselfifitcouldnotbefairlyadministered.Capitalpunishment,now
evenmorethanbefore,appearstobealethallottery.Actualexecutionisdependentonvariablefactorslikethepersonalinclinationsof
judges,administratorsandthepoliticalenvironmentofthemoment.Actualexecutionsseemtonowtakeplaceonlyinthecaseofthe
politicallyfriendlesslikeAjmalKasabandAfzalGuru,whilesomelikeDevinderBhullar,BalwantSinghRajoanaandtheRajivGandhi
assassinsaredeemedpoliticallyunexecutable.Whilethelegalprocessostensiblydecreeshangingintherarestofrarecases,thequalityof
mercyisstrainedthroughanunequalfilter.
Thenextdoctrineisthatofthesoftstateactingtoughonterror.Strangelyenough,forallthemuchvaunted,toughlegalmeasuresagainstthe
menaceofterrorism,YakubMemonisprobablytheonlypersonactuallyexecutedundertheTerroristandDisruptiveActivities(Prevention)
Actof1985.PassedintheimmediateaftermathofSikhterrorismwhichculminatedinIndiraGandhisassassination,theActdispensedwith
manyoftheinherentsafeguardsbuiltintotheordinarycriminallaw.Confessionsrecordedbypoliceofficersweremadeadmissibleas
evidence.ItalsodidawaywiththetraditionalappealtoaHighCourt.Thus,Yakubeffectivelyendedupwithonetrialandoneappeal,both
processeswhichweresharedwithmorethanahundredcoaccused.
Theroadtoexecution
Whenalargenumberofpersonsaretriedtogether,courtsareloathtothrowoutprosecutioncasesintoto.Often,theprocessendsupin
separatingthosewhoappeartobelessguiltyfromthosewhohaveagreaterinvolvement.Despitealltheacquittalsandreductionsof
sentences,theregenerallyremainsthebaddestofthebad,uponwhomthefullforceofretributiondescends.Whenitcametosentencing,
thequestionaskedwastheextentofvariablepunishmentbaseduponindividualrolesinacollectivecrime.Inthiscasewherethedesignated
courthadsentenced11peopletodeath,theSupremeCourt,inappeal,commutedallbutoneofthemtolifeimprisonment.TheSupreme
Courtsparedthelivesoftheactualplantersofexplosives,treatingthemasmereunderlings.However,twofactorsoperatedagainstYakub.
Thecourtheld:thesetwofactorsacommandingpositionandacrimeofutmostgravityordinarilymerittheextremepenaltyeven
accountingfortheguiltypleaandmitigatingfactors.Thisisthespecialreasonwhichwarrantsdeathpenaltytotheaccused.Whereeventhe
prosecutioncasewasofaconspiracyhatchedabroadbyDawoodIbrahimandgiveneffecttobyYakubsbrother,Ibrahim(Tiger)Memon,itis
hardtoseeYakubashavingplayedacommandingrolewhencontrastedwiththeprincipalconspirators.However,whencomparedwiththe
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05/08/2015

Lethallotteryorjustdeserts?TheHindu

peopleactuallyapprehendedandputontrial,Yakubwasthebiggestfishavailabletofry.Yakubprobablywouldnothavebeensentencedto
deathhadhehadhisbrotherscompanythroughthetrialandappeal.
Withthesentencinghavingbeendoneby2013,andthemercypetitionhavingbeenrejectedforthefirsttimein2014,theroadtoexecution
seemedclear.AcoupleofnewSupremeCourtjudgmentsemergedwhichgrantedafreshrayofhope.Inacasedealingwithdelayed
executions,thecourtruledthatcondemnedprisonersneededtobegivenatleast14daysfromtherejectionoftheirmercypetitiontoprepare
themselvesfordeath.Inanotherruling,thecourtwhichnormallydisposedofreviewpetitionsbycirculationinchambers,decidedthatin
capitalcases,suchmattersrequiredtobeheardinopencourt.Theseandotherjudgmentscameintoplaylastmonth,asthedeathwarrant
wascommunicatedtoYakub,fixingthedateofJuly30forhisexecution.
AnewwritpetitionwasfiledbyYakubwherehearguedthatthewarrantcouldnotbeissuedsolongashislastlegalremedy,ofacurative
petition,wasstillpending.Forthosewhostilldontknow,acurativepetitionisnotprovidedforintheConstitution.Itisaninnovationofthe
SupremeCourttocurebasicdefectsifanyinitsdisposalofamatterafterthehearingandreviewstages.Nosuchdefectwasfoundandthe
curativepetitionwasdismissedonJuly21.
BringingYakubback
Atthisstage,anewcontroversyemergedwithahithertounpublishedarticleofthelateB.Ramanbeingpublishedbyawebportal.Raman
wroteaboutthecircumstancesunderwhichhe,astheheadoftheResearchandAnalysisWing,ensuredthatYakubwasbroughtbacktoIndia
tofacethelaw.ThearticledetailedYakubscooperationwiththeIndianagencieswhichledtosecuringevidenceagainstthePakistani
establishmentregardingitsinvolvementinthebombattacks.RamanfeltthattheprosecutionseekingthedeathpenaltyforYakubwasnot
warranted,butthearticlewasnotpublishedinRamanslifetimeforfearofinterferingwiththejudicialprocess.Ramansbrotherauthorised
journalistSheelaBhatttoreleasethearticlesonlywhenYakubsimminentexecutionnecessitatedfulldisclosure.Thisvoicefrombeyondthe
gravewasnotevidenceonwhichacourtcouldhaveacted.Itcouldatbesthavebeentakenintoaccountwhiledecidingafreshmercypetition.
SeveralpeopleincludingformerSupremeCourtjudgeH.S.Bedi,oneofthebestjudgesofcriminalcasestoserveonthecourt,urgedthecourt
totakearelookatthecase.
Alastditchattempt
YakubswritpetitionwasheardonJuly28byJusticesA.R.DaveandKurianJosephwhodifferedwitheachother.JusticeDavefoundnofault
withthewarrantanddismissedthepetition.JusticeJosephrefusedtowashthecourtshandsofthecase.Heevenquestionedwhetherthe
benchhearingthecurativepetitionhadbeencorrectlyconstituted.Asplitverdictinadeathpenaltyshouldordinarilyhaveresultedinastay
ofexecutiontillalargerbenchcouldbeconstitutedtohearthecase.However,JusticeDavedeclinedtobeapartytoanorderofstay,andthe
matterwasplacedbeforetheChiefJusticewhoconstitutedanewbenchofJusticesDipakMisra,PrafullaC.PantandAmitavaRoytohearthe
casetheverynextday.
Thethreejudgebenchheardthematterafreshthroughthedayanddismisseditaround4p.m.justbeforethecourtrosefortheday.Shortly
thereafter,YakubsmercypetitionwasturneddownasecondtimebythePresident.Around9p.m.,afreshwritpetitionwasfiledinthe
SupremeCourt,seekingatleast14daysforYakubtopreparehimselfforexecution.Thematterwasassignedtothesamethreejudgebench.
Inanunprecedentedmove,justhoursbeforethescheduledexecution,thedoorsoftheSupremeCourtwereopenedaftermidnight.The
benchagainsatat3a.m.onJuly30tohearthislastplea.Judgessleep,justicedoesnot,remarkedMr.K.Parasaran,Indiasformer
AttorneyGeneral.Thatnight,Indiawasgluedtorealitytelevisionasanunprecedentedcontingentofsleepless,breathlessreportersrelayedto
theworldthelastgaspeffortsofahostoflawyerswhosimplygavetheirbestandutmosttosaveorextendahumanlife.
Itwasnottobe.ThenewpetitionwasdismissedbytheSupremeCourtaround4.50a.m.Soon,Yakubwenttothegallowsonthedate
predeterminedinAprilthisyear,whenhisdeathwarrantwassignedbyasessionsjudge.Justiceaccordingtothelawwasdoneandseentobe
done.ButdidJusticetriumph?WasYakubservedhisjustdesertsorwashemadeascapegoatofbythesystem?Ileaveittothereaderto
judge.
(SanjayHegdeisaSupremeCourtlawyer.)

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