On September 12, 2006, the special TADA court convicted four of the Memon family — Yakub, Essa, Rubina and Yusuf. Three other members of the family — Suleiman, Hanifa and Raheen — were acquitted with the judge giving them the benefit of doubt. The four Memons have been held guilty on charges of conspiring and abetting acts of terror. They face jail terms ranging from a minimum of five years to life imprisonment. Yakub Memon, the brother of prime accused Tiger Memon, has been charged for possession of unauthorised arms.

Yakub denied before the trial court that he was involved in any manner in the conspiracy of planning the blasts. A chartered accountant by profession, he told Judge PD Kode that it was false that on February 11, 1993, Tiger had called a meeting of Muslim youth at his residence at Al Husseni building at Mahim in north-central Mumbai. Several of the accused were allegedly present at this meeting. Yakub said it was also false that the Muslim youth had taken an oath during the meeting to take revenge for the Babri Masjid demolition on December 6, 1992.

Suleiman Memon

WHO: The eldest son of the Memon family. His wife, Rubeena has been convicted, but has been given time to surrender till she is sentenced. He ran a business in Dubai prior to his arrest.

CHARGE: Suleiman was accused of being part of the conspiracy and of letting the accused use his house in Al-Hussaini building, Mahim, to hatch the conspiracy.

... contd.