Indian Supreme Court takes no call on Muslim militants' plea against his execution

India's Supreme Court Monday did not take any decision on 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon's plea to stay his execution scheduled on July 30. The court heard the Muslim terrorist's plea and said that arguments would continue Tuesday, even as a mercy petition is pending before Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.

The 53-year-old terrorist has pleaded that the death warrant for his execution is illegal as it was issued by a lower court before he had exhausted every legal option.

In fact, his curative petition had not been heard at the time and it was rejected by the Supreme Court only last week whereas the death warrant was issued before that.

A clemency plea, filed on his behalf by a group of eminent citizens, including politicians, jurists and retired judges, has urged the Indian president to grant him mercy.

President Mukherjee had rejected his mercy plea last year.

Memon was found guilty in 2007 of helping to plot the serial bomb blasts across Mumbai in which over 260 people were killed.

He has claimed that his brother Tiger Memon had masterminded the blasts along with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, both of whom have been absconding since the terror attacks.