The Supreme Court asks the Centre if a governor can decide over a mercy plea of any convict when the mercy plea has already been declined by the President of India. The SC Constitution bench raised this question while hearing the matter related to Rajiv Gandhi assassins. The matter is also pertinent in the case of Yakub Memon.


Memon has filed another mercy petition to Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao through the jailor.


Yesterday, hours after an SC bench led by Chief Justice HL Dattu gave its ruling, Memon -- younger brother of prime accused Tiger Memon -- handed over to authorities at Nagpurs Central Prison a personal mercy plea to be forwarded to President Pranab Mukherjee. A similar plea earlier had been rejected by Mukherjee in April 2014, but that was filed on Memons behalf by brother Suleiman.

Even if his fresh mercy plea is rejected by the President, Memon cannot be hanged on July 30 in view of a Supreme Court verdict that prescribes a 14-day gap between rejection of mercy plea of a death row convict and his execution.