AAPL Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Gold
Mumbai Indians’ New Director Signed the Mercy Petition in 2012 Petition for Kasab
Mumbai Indians’ appointment of Zubin Bharucha has sparked controversy after his name resurfaced on a 2012 petition opposing the death penalty for 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab.
Mumbai Indians announced on 21 August 2026 that 56-year-old Zubin Bharucha would become the franchise’s Director of Performance. Soon after the announcement, an old petition signed by Bharucha in 2012 started circulating on social media, leading to criticism and calls to boycott the IPL team.
The controversy is linked to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks of 2008. Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists attacked several locations in Mumbai, including CST, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident and Nariman House. The attacks continued for three days and killed 166 people.
Ajmal Amir Kasab was the only terrorist captured alive. He was later convicted and sentenced to death. The Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in August 2012, and after his mercy plea was rejected, he was hanged at Yerwada Jail in Pune on 21 November 2012.
Around the same time, more than 200 civil society members, including Bharucha, signed a separate public petition opposing the death penalty. The petition called for Kasab’s death sentence to be changed to life imprisonment.
The petition did not support Kasab or his crimes. Instead, it opposed the use of the death penalty as a form of punishment. However, after Bharucha’s appointment was announced, the old petition resurfaced online and some users accused him of supporting a terrorist.
Others pointed out that the petition was specifically about opposing the death penalty and was not a defence of the 26/11 attacks or Kasab’s actions.
Bharucha has had a long career in cricket, including playing first-class cricket for Mumbai and working with Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils. He was involved in developing players such as Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The controversy has become particularly sensitive because Mumbai Indians represent the city that was severely affected by the 26/11 attacks. As of now, Mumbai Indians has not issued a public statement on the controversy.