Ajmal Kasab hanged

26/11 convict Kasab hanged at 7.30 am, says Maharashtra Home Ministry

New Delhi: The Maharashtra Home Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks convict Ajmal Kasab was hanged at 7.30 am at Pune's Yerwada jail. President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected his mercy plea on November 8, said Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil.

"His execution is a tribute to the victims of 26/11 attacks," said Patil. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told CNN-IBN that Kasab was shifted out of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail to Pune's Yerwada Jail two days ago. Yerwada Jail is meant for convicts and has provision for their execution. The CM admitted that secrecy had been maintained over Kasab's execution as they did not want to compromise the security situation in any way.

Sources said that Kasab was provided all information before the execution and the jail manual was followed. When he was asked for his last wish and whether he had a will, Kasab said no. Yerwada Jail sources said that the High Court had been asked to inform Kasab's family.

In September, the Maharashtra Home Ministry had recommended that the LeT terrorist's mercy plea be rejected. Kasab had been sentenced to death in May 2010 for his role in the savage attacks that ripped apart Mumbai on 26 November 2008, killing over 150 people, including several foreigners.

On August 29 this year, the Supreme Court had confirmed the death penalty awarded to Kasab by the trial court and later upheld by the Bombay High Court.

A Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and CK Prasad had dismissed the 25-year-old's plea challenging his conviction and death sentence in the 26/11 case.

He was given a copy of the judgement earlier in September. When the terrorist, lodged in bomb-proof "anda cell" (egg shaped cell), was first informed about the apex court upholding his death penalty, Kasab did not appear shocked, a jail officer said.

Kasab and nine other Pakistani terrorists had landed in south Mumbai on November 26, 2008 after traveling from Karachi by sea and had gone on a shooting spree at various landmarks, killing 166 people, including foreigners.

While Kasab was captured alive, the other terrorists were killed by security forces.

According to the Home ministry's fact-sheet on people on death row, a total of 29 mercy petitions involving 52 condemned prisoners, seeking pardon, under Article 72 of the constitution are still pending with the Central Government.

At least seven of the condemned prisoners - six from Uttar Pradesh and one from Tamil Nadu - have been able to survive for over 12 years as their mercy pleas have remained pending with Rashtrapati Bhawan since 1998.

Seven others, figuring in five other mercy petitions filed in 1999, have been able to survive for 11 years as the president is yet to take any decision on their mercy pleas.

Five condemned prisoners who filed their mercy petitions in 2000 and 25 other condemned prisoners who filed their mercy petitions between 2001-06 are also awaiting a decision from the president.

During the last decade (1990-2000), the president rejected seven mercy petitions and commuted the sentences of two, while in the previous decade (1980-89) out of 45 mercy petitions, 41 were rejected and four commuted.