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Yakub didn't sleep, his last wish was to meet daughter Zubeida
[HINDUSTANTIMES] Yakub Memon's last wish was to meet his daughter after being told he had exhausted all hope of stalling the execution but the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict had to be content with a telephone conversation, jail authorities said on Thursday.

Prison officials arranged for Yakub to talk to his daughter in Mumbai after an emotionally-charged meeting with his elder brother Suleiman, hours before he was scheduled to be hanged for plotting the dozen blasts that killed 257 people in Mumbai over two decades ago.

"He was very happy and cheerful after talking to his daughter," a jail official told HT.

A disturbed Yakub broke down in front of his brother and remembered all family members, including wife Raheen and daughter Zubeida, who met the convict last week at the Nagpur central jail.

When Suleiman met jail authorities on Wednesday evening, rattled officials requested him to persuade Yakub to eat as the "restless" convict had refused food for the past two days.

"Trust and imposed faith on the almighty. We are fighting for you and all the avenues are yet not exhausted," Suleiman reportedly assured Yakub and informed him about a last-minute petition filed before the apex court.

Officials said Yakub was served rotis and chicken legs with curry in his cell around 9:30pm. Yakub ate only one roti and two legs of chicken.

A cake was also sent to Yakub inside Nagpur central jail at night from the jail authorities for his birthday -- he turned 53 on Thursday -- but it couldn't be confirmed if he ate the cake.

Posted by: Fred 2015-07-31
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=424795