’93: Yakub gets death, 3 others life

Actor Sanjay Dutt and three others convicted under the Arms Act were summoned to the TADA court on July 31 and are likely to be sentenced on that day.

As special TADA court judge P D Kode read out the death sentence to him, Yakub lost his composure. “Oh lord forgive this man for he knows not what he’s doing,” he shouted.

Yakub was convicted for conspiracy and organising the logistics of the blast, while Essa and Yusuf were convicted for allowing their flat and garage to be used for the conspiracy. Rubeena was convicted for aiding and abetting a terrorist act and allowing a Maruti van registered in her name to be used to transport arms, ammunition, and explosives used in the blasts.

The maroon van found abandoned with contraband near the Siemens factory, Worli, proved the first clue for investigators.

“Considering the role played by her and the fact that she is a lady, she is sentenced to life,” Judge Kode said. And as she was being taken away by the police, Rubeena started sobbing only to be consoled by Yakub.

Though prosecution pleaded for death, Yusuf, who has been suffering from schizophrenia since 1991, was given life in consideration of his illness. Essa’s sentence, too, was “reduced from death to life” since he suffers from morbid obesity and has a brain tumour.

Although the Memons planned the blasts, the entire family, except Tiger, had left for Dubai three days before the blasts. Tiger left for Dubai a day before, leaving his confidants Javed Chikna and Anwar Theba to execute the plan. Chikna managed to flee to Dubai later.

In August 1995, CBI arrested Yakub in Delhi. Within a few days, the other members of his family were arrested. Yakub claims his entire family was virtually under house arrest in Pakistan and that he came to India and “surrendered” only to face trial and remove the stigma on his family.

When his statement was recorded by the court after he was found guilty, Yakub said he had wanted to clear his family’s name. “On March 12, everything changed. We were declared guilty on that day itself because the family car was found. Even then I gathered strength and returned to India on July 28, 1994. The same day, I surrendered to the authorities. The only purpose for coming back was to remove the stigma. I tried to help the people with whatever little I could. However, the whole thing was used against me,” Yakub said in the statement.

THE FIRST FAMILY OF 1993 MUMBAI BLASTS
Sentenced
• Yakub Memon: A trained chartered accountant, he fled to Dubai three days before the blasts. He made the financial and logistical arrangements for the serial blasts. He was sentenced to death.
• Yusuf Memon: The youngest of the brothers, he is a schizophrenic. He allowed his fellow conspirators to use his flat for terrorist activities. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Essa Memon: He was a college student in 1993. He allowed his fellow conspirators to use his flat for terrorist activities. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Rubeena Memon: Her car was found with a cache of arms near the Siemens factory. Her husband Suleiman was acquitted. She was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Acquitted
• Suleiman Memon: The eldest Memon brother was in charge of the family business in Dubai since 1992. He was acquitted of conspiracy charges.
• Rahin Memon: Yakub’s wife. After spending some time in custody, she was granted bail. She was acquitted.
• Hanifa Memon: Mother of prime accused Tiger Memon, Hanifa was charged with abetting terrorist activities. She was released on bail and acquitted in 2006.
• Abdul Razak Memon: Father of prime accused Tiger Memon, Abdul was one of the accused. He was granted bail later. He died in 2001 at the age of 73.

Absconding
• Mushtaq alias Tiger Memon: A smuggler, he orchestrated the 1993 serial blasts as an act of revenge against the December 1992-January 1993 riots, when his Mahim office was burnt down. He provided the logistical support while fellow conspirators Dawood Ibrahim and Mohammed Dossa provided the money and the contraband. He recruited people to execute the blasts and sent them for arms training to Pakistan. He fled to Dubai a day before the blasts. His wife, Shabana, has also been declared absconding.
• Ayub Memon: Ayub and his wife Reshma, accused of conspiracy, are also believed to be in Pakistan.