1993 Mumbai blasts: 4 of Memon family found guilty

The long wait for justice of 1993 serial Mumbai bomb blasts victims and their families finally came to an end as designated judge of the TADA court, P D Kode, started reading out the verdict.

On Tuesday, Kode pronounced the verdict for accused number 1 to 8 in the case. All are family members of kingpin of the blasts conspiracy, Tiger Memon. The judge found four of the accused guilty and acquitted three others due to want of conclusive evidence, while one died during the course of the 13-year long trial.

The four members of the Memon family who were found guilty include Yakub, Essa, Yusuf and Rubina. Those who were acquitted include Suleiman, Rahin, Hanifa (Yakub's mother) and Abdul Razak (Yakub's father) who died during the course of trial. Tiger Memon is still absconding along with three other family members.

The four accused who were found guilty were charged by the CBI of hatching, financing and executing the conspiracy along with those who have been acquitted. The Memons sent some of the accused in the case for training in arms and explosives to Pakistan via Dubai. They also purchased vehicles to plant the explosives, which were stored in their residential building at Mahim in Mumbai.

The Memons financed these operations through their account in HSBC bank's Bandra branch.

The involvement of Memon family in the conspiracy got exposed after it was found that one of vehicles used in the blasts was registered in the name of Rubina Memon.

The argument on their punishment will take place on Tuesday. All these accused can attract punishments ranging between five years of rigorous imprisonment and life term.

After Kode pronounced his guilty verdict, Yakub asked the court to grant bail to Rubina for two to three days as "she is the eldest daughter-in-law of the house, executes many household responsibilities and also looks after the children. Therefore, she should be given some time to wind up the things."

However, Kode rejected Yakub's plea and directed the police to take her in custody immediately. This led to an angry outburst from Yakub: "We have seen that for the last 13 years. Innocent people have been labeled terrorists. We do not need anyone to protect us."

The Bollywood was more curious about what happens to Sanjubaba alias Sanjay Dutt, one of the accused in the case. It is believed that Dutt is currently involved in Bollywood projects worth around Rs 90 crore. But according to sources, it might just take the court one to one and a half months to pronounce the verdict. And since Dutt is accused no. 117, his number is not likely to come before middle of October. There are more than 130 accused out of the total 191 accused in the case who stood the trial.

Meanwhile, Dutt has been exempted from personal appearance in the court, while the court is delivering the judgement.

Altogether 257 people were killed and 173 injured when a series of explosions rocked 13 places in the city on March 12, 1993. Property worth Rs 27 crore was destroyed in the blasts.

Ninety-four accused, including Sanjay Dutt, are currently on bail, while 29 others are in jail custody. Trial of three accused "" Abu Salem, Riyaz Siddiqui and Mustafa Dossa "" has been separated as they were arrested much later.

Eleven accused died during trial, while one, Riyaz Khatri, jumped bail. Two others "" Samajwadi Party MP Abu Asim Azmi and Amjad Mehr Baksh "" were discharged by the Supreme Court. Twenty-nine accused were discharged earlier by the Supreme Court while 29 were declared absconding when the chargesheet was filed in 1993 soon after the bomb blasts.