The hanging of terrorist Kasab was illegal, said noted advocate Yug Mohit Chaudhry, at an award function here.
Speaking at the 98th birthday celebrations of Justice V R Krishna Iyer organised by the People’s Federation Against Death Penalty, Chaudhry, a practising advocate at the Bombay High Court, who obtained stay on the capital punishment for Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan in the Madras HC, said: “In a reply dated November 6 to an RTI filed by a journalist, the government said that no decision had been taken on Kasab’s hanging. But on November 5, the government rejected the mercy plea of Kasab and executed him on November 21. Only after the hanging, the nation was informed.”
He said,“In Kasab’s case, several laws were violated. Firstly, Kasab was not given legal aid. Secondly, no person should be hanged when his mercy petition is pending. The government followed neither. When the government had the legal order issued by the Supreme Court to hang Kasab, then why did it keep the execution a secret?”
“In two separate interviews, the Home Minister and Maharashtra Chief Minister said, “we hanged Kasab without informing because we didn’t want the human rights activists go to the court and get a stay order.” Is it that a criminal should not be given last-minute judicial help?” asked Chaudhry.
Latha Krishna Iyer, daughter-in-law of Krishna Iyer, former Madras HC Judge K P Sivasubramaniam, activist Henry Tiphagne, actor Rohini, singer Unni Krishnan and musician James Vasanthan also participated.
For his innumerous efforts for abolishing death penalty, Chaudhry was awarded the Justice Krishna Iyer Award, instituted by the People’s Federation Against Death Penalty on Saturday.