Be kind to me, don't send me to the gallows: Kasab's mercy plea

New Delhi: Ajmal Kasab, the face of the 26/11 terror strike on Mumbai who was hanged on November 21, had begged for “daya” (mercy) from the President in his four-line clemency plea written in elementary Urdu, which was rejected. The hand written petition dated 12 September, 2012, which has been made public more than a month after Kasab was hanged, shows glaring language errors. The application has been provided to Lucknow-based activist Urvashi Sharma under the Right to Information Act. [caption id=“attachment_579929” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The execution of the gunman had resulted in people celebrating his death across the country. AP[/caption] In his brief application, Kasab pleaded, “Sir, mujhe fansi ki saza Supreme Court ho gayi hai. Fansi ki saza se mujhe chorr diya jaye. Mere upar daya karo aur muje fansi ki se riha kar de. Apka Ajmal Kasab(sic).” It was translated by the Jail Authorities as, “Sir, I have been sentenced by Supreme Court for capital punishment (Hanged till death). It is most humbly and respectfully pleaded to spare me from death sentence and also get me released from the gallows. It is my humble request. Yours” Pakistani citizen Kasab, the sole surviving terrorist from the 26/11 terror attack, was hanged to death at the Yerawada Jail in Pune on 21 November, 2012. He was among the ten terrorists who had entered Mumbai through sea route on 26 November, 2008 and launched a three-day mayhem which killed 166 people. 25-year-old Kasab had been lodged in the Arthur Jail Road here ever since he was arrested immediately after the attack in 2008. He was convicted and given capital punishment by the trial court on 6 May, 2010 which was upheld by the Bombay High Court on 21 February, 2011. The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the sentence on 29 August last year. His mercy petition was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee on 5 November, 2012. PTI