International human rights group, Amnesty India, on Tuesday slammed the decision to execute 1993 Mumbai serial blasts accused Yakub Memon , whose curative petition against the death sentence has been rejected by the Supreme Court.

"The rejection of #yakubmemon curative petition in SC is a disappointing step towards the continued use of the death penalty in India," Amnesty India tweeted from its handle, @AIIndia. Speaking to India Today TV, senior lawyer Abha Singh also expressed her shock over the judgment, arguing that the Mumbai blasts convict has already spent 20 years in prison for the crime.

Memon was awarded the death sentence by a special TADA Court in Mumbai on July 27, 2007 for his role in the serial blasts, including arranging finances for carrying out the 13 serial explosions which left 257 dead and over 700 injured across the city on March 12, 1993. The 53-year-old is likely to be hanged on July 30 at 7 am in a Nagpur jail.

Justice (Retd) PD Kode, who had delivered the death sentence in 2007, hailed the Supreme Court ruling. "It is a victory for the common man who keeps his faith in law," Justice Kode said.

Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who has reprsented the Maharashtra state in a series of terror cases, also welcomed the execution. "This is a very important decision as Yakub had tried to prolong the execution of death penalty. There is no legal impediment in the execution of the order of death sentence. The Supreme Court has primarily considered that such conspirators souhd be dealt with sternly," he said.