WHAT HAS HAPPENED ?
More than seven years after Yakub Memon was hanged to death after being convicted for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, a controversy has erupted over his burial place.
A video showing Memon's grave site at Bada Kabrastan being transformed with marble titles, halogen and LED lights recently
began circulating on social media. On Thursday, Mumbai removed the LED lights, claiming that the new lighting had come up in March, while the marble tiles had been installed three years ago.
WHO IS YAKUB MEMON ?
Yakub Memon was a convict in the 1993 serial bomb blast case.
He was hanged at the Nagpur Central Jail on July 30, 2015 after his curative petition, the last legal remedy available to any convict, was rejected by the Supreme Court.
He was a brother of Tiger Memon, a prime suspect in the same case, who is believed to be hiding in Pakistan.
Yakub, who was the most educated amongst the six Memon brothers, had completed his Masters in Commerce from Burhani college, and subsequently enrolled himself as a student of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in 1986.
He became a certified Chartered Accountant four years later in 1990, and later went on to set up his own accountancy firm with a childhood friend Chaitanya Mehta - the 'Mehta and Memon Associates'.
His elder brother Tiger was, meanwhile, making a mark in the Mumbai underworld. Yakub handled his brother's accounts, but maintained that he was not aware of his alleged crimes. The police claimed otherwise.
The probe into the serial blasts case accused Yakub of being part of a criminal conspiracy by helping arrange finance for the entire operation.
He was accordingly charged for funding a terror activity and possessing explosives with intent to endanger lives.
HOW WAS HE ARRESTED ?
The Menon family had fled the city before the blasts, moving to Dubai and subsequently to Pakistan.
They were linked to the tragedy after a vehicle used for the explosions was traced. The car belonged to them.
Yakub, who was unhappy with the constant monitoring by the Pakistani intelligence agencies, decided to come back to India.
He had reportedly got in touch with lawyers to seek their advice to plan his return. Yakub returned 18 months later, and was arrested at New Delhi station by the CBI on August 5, 1994.
Yakub claimed that he had given himself up willingly on July 28, 1994, in Nepal, after getting in touch with Indian intelligence agencies.
After Yakub's arrest eight other members of his family including his wife Raheen and newly born daughter also returned.
CONVICTION
On July 27, 2007 Memon was sentenced to death for criminal conspiracy by a TADA court.
He then appealed against the judgement at higher courts. In 2013, his appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected. Subsequently, the President declined his mercy petition in 2014.
After a Mumbai court fixed the date for execution of his death sentence, he moved a curative petition which was rejected by the SC on July 21, 2015.
He was then executed on July 30, 2015 following which his remains were buried at Bada Kabrastan in south Mumbai.
ROW OVER BURIAL PLACE
A video of his grave, revamped with marble titles, halogen and LED lights, was found being shared widely on social media on Wednesday.
The Mumbai police has now removed the lights installed around his grave at Bada Kabrastan.
The police during the course of their inquiry have ascertained that the transformed burial site contains remains of 14 other members of the Memon family.
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"It has come to light that the marbles, which are surrounding the grave, were placed there three years ago, while the halogen and LED lights were installed during 'badi raat' in March.
The lights were used only on that night of which the video has gone viral," said a senior IPS officer. BJP leaders, meanwhile, have blamed the previous MVA government and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for allowing this to happen under their watch
