1993 serial blasts: Yakub Memon family members also faced trial

Though Yakub Abdul Razak Memon became the sole accused to get capital punishment for the 1993 Bombay serial blasts some other members of the Memon clan had also been figured as accused in the case and some of them discharged for want of evidenceParents of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon and Hanifa Memon lived in the eightstoried AlHusseini building near the historic Durgah of Makhdoom Shah Baba in Mahim Central Mumbai It was in this building that the bomb blasts conspiracy was hatched by Mushtaq alias Tiger Memon Yakubs brother and the righthand man of fugitive accused and mastermind Dawood IbrahimOn the eve of the bomb blasts on March 12 1993 RDX used for the first time in India for explosions was planted in cars and scooters in the garages of Alhusseini Building by Tiger Memons men Yakub whose death sentence was today confirmed by Supreme Court is a chartered accountant and has a flat in his name on the second floor in this buildingThe following are the members of the Memon family who faced the trial Abdul Razak Memon Father of Tiger Memon an avid cricket buff and himself a player in the Mumbai league he was popularly known as Tiger after former national captain Nawab of Pataudi and was keen that his son Mushtaq become a cricketer when he grows upAbdul Razak was arrested after he returned from abroad along with other members of Memon family in 1994 He fell sick in jail and was granted bail after few years He died in 2001 at the age of 73Hanifa Memon Tigers mother and the household chief Hanifa was respected by the entire Memon clan She was booked for abetment of terror acts of her son Tiger and his friends She too was released on bail after lodging in jail for few years Eventually the TADA court acquitted her due to lack of evidenceMushtaq Memon alias Tiger Allegedly a smuggler he represented the illegal business of Dawood Ibrahim in India He fled to Dubai a day prior to the blasts and from there moved to Pakistan where he is believed to be hiding along with Dawood He is one of Indias most wanted criminals He masterminded the 1993 serial blasts along with Dawood to avenge the demolition of Babri MasjidAkub Memon A Chartered Accountant he had an accounting firm where he handled accounts of Tiger Memons 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 sentenceSuleiman Memon Brother of Yakub Suleiman was a well mannered man with a courteous behaviour and humane approach Like his father he too loved cricket 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 evidenceRahin Memon Wife of Yakub Rahin 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 evidenceRubina Memon Wife of Suleiman Memon Rubina was however 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 Ak56 rifles and hand grenades found in it The accused had abandoned this vehicle as they heard a noise and thought that it was an explosion They were on a mission to go to Municipal headquarters and open fire at the corporators indiscriminately to create terror Rubina however defended herself saying she was a housewife and certain property of the family was registered in her namethough she had not taken any part in the bomb blasts conspiracyEssa Memon Brother of Tiger Essa was also arrested along with other members of Memon family He was diagnosed with a tumour and had sought acquittal on the grounds of illhealth However the TADA court convicted him He is serving life sentence in Aurangabad JailYusuf Memon Another brother of Tiger Yusuf too was arrested along with other members of the Memon family He was suspected to be suffering from schizophrenia and sought liberty for treatment However he was convicted by TADA court and is now serving life sentence in Aurangabad prisonAyub Memon The eldest son of Abdul Razak and Hanifa Ayub is absconding and is believed to be staying with Tiger in Pakistan The 1993 bomb blast case was the longest in the history of Indian judicial system having lasted for 14 years