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    Innocent people are being called terrorists: Yakub Memon post conviction in 2006

    Synopsis

    After hearing the verdict, he said, "We do not want to engage lawyers to argue on quantum of sentence...13 years have passed and innocent people are being called terrorists."

    PTI

    MUMBAI: Yakub Memon, who was hanged today for his role in 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, had reacted with an angry outburst saying "innocent people are being called terrorists" when a TADA court here had pronounced him guilty on September 12, 2006.

    After hearing the verdict, he had said, "We do not want to engage lawyers to argue on quantum of sentence...13 years have passed and innocent people are being called terrorists."

    "We have already been branded as terrorists and shall face the consequences," said Yakub, the younger brother of absconding accused Tiger Memon, when he was convicted along with his brothers Essa and Yusuf by designated Judge PD Kode.

    A Chartered Accountant by profession, 53-year-old Yakub always kept aloof from the other accused, but on the day of judgement he could not control his emotions and shouted that he was not responsible for the bomb blasts.

    In another incident prior to the judgement, Yakub had lost his cool one day and ran menacingly before the then TADA Judge JN Patel saying: "Tiger was right in telling me that I should not go to India with family as we would be hounded."

    The judge found Yakub guilty of conspiracy and financing the serial blasts through co-accused Mulchand Shah and the firm M/s Tejarat International - owned by his brother Ayub Memon , who is absconding.

    Yakub was also charged with providing tickets to co-accused who were sent to Pakistan via Dubai for training in arms and ammunition.

    He was also charged with purchasing vehicles and using them in the blasts by planting explosives.

    A series of 13 explosions had rocked the country's commercial capital on March 12, 1993, in which 257 people were killed and 713 injured, besides property worth Rs 27 crore was damaged.

    The trial commenced on June 30, 1995 and 13,000 pages of evidence was recorded, with CBI examining 686 witnesses, including two approvers who unfolded the conspiracy.

    The blasts were masterminded by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim with the help of his lieutenants Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa, allegedly at the instance of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI to avenge the demolition of disputed Babri Masjid, the CBI claimed in the chargesheet.

    Dawood, Tiger and Dossa are absconding.

     

    Yakub Memon had an accounting firm where he handled accounts of Tiger Memon's company dealing in hawala business. He also provided tickets to accused in this case who went to Pakistan via Dubai for arms training, according to the charges levelled against him in TADA court. He was arrested in 1994 and tried in a TADA court.

    He was convicted by TADA court in 2006 and on July 27, 2007 he was sentenced to death by the same court. On March 21, 2013, the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence.

    In 2014, President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy plea and the Supreme Court rejected his mercy petition on April 10 this year. On April 29, TADA court fixed July 30 as the date of execution of his death sentence.

    Yakub's wife Rahin Memon was also arrested along with her husband in the 1993 bomb blast case. She too faced charges of aiding and abetting terror acts, but was acquitted in September 2006 due to lack of evidence.

    Yakub's another brother Suleiman was well mannered and loved cricket like his father. He was arrested with other members of the Memon family in 1994 and was accused of aiding and abetting terror acts. He was granted bail after few years of his arrest and ultimately acquitted for lack of evidence.

    Suleiman's wife Rubina was, however, was convicted by the TADA court and sentenced to life imprisonment as a Maruti van used in the bomb blasts was registered in her name. This van was found abandoned at Worli and Ak-56 rifles and hand grenades found in it.

    The accused had abandoned this vehicle as they heard noise and thought that it was an explosion. They were allegedly on a mission to go to Municipal headquarters and open fire at the corporators.

    Rubina, however, defended herself saying she was a housewife and certain property of the family was registered in her name though she had not taken any part in the bomb blasts conspiracy.

    Tuger's another brother Essa was also arrested along with other members of Memon family. He was diagnosed with a tumour and had sought acquittal on grounds of ill-health. However, the TADA court convicted him. He is serving life sentence in Aurangabad Jail.

    Yusuf Memon, another brother of Tiger, was also among those arrested. He was suspected to be suffering from schizophrenia. He was convicted by TADA court and is now serving life sentence in Aurangabad prison.

    Ayub Memon, the eldest son of Abdul Razak and Hanifa, is absconding and believed to be staying with Tiger in Pakistan.

    The 1993 bomb blasts case was one the longest in the history of Indian judicial system, having lasted for 14 years.


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