1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon buried next to his father’s grave
Mumbai: The body of Yakub Memon, hanged early morning after the Supreme Court dismissed a final appeal in a dramatic 3.20 am hearing, was buried at 5:15 pm here at the Bada Qabristan cemetery at Marine Lines, South Mumbai.
Close family members and friends accompanied the body to the cemetery a little after 4 pm amid tight security. He was buried near his father's grave.
The ambulance carrying Memon’s body had to enter from the back gate of the cemetery due to security reasons.
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Memon was hanged in the Nagpur jail at 7 am today, a little over two hours after the Supreme Court dismissed a last-minute appeal by his lawyers in an unprecedented pre-dawn hearing.
His body was received by his brother Suleiman and Usman and brought to Mumbai around noon. The casket was taken straight to their family home in Mahim.
Mumbai streets smacked with security along the routes taken. There was heavy security too at the cemetery.
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DCP (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said, "This step has been taken to ensure tranquility and harmony in the city". We do not want the visuals to be used later by anti-national elements to provoke people and youngsters, Kulkarni said.
The ban would continue till midnight.
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"Yes, Yakub Memon has been hanged at 7 am and his body is being handed over to his family," Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had confirmed this morning.
Yakub's brother Suleiman and cousin Usman, who were camping in
Suleiman had moved an application last evening to
The request was accepted and accordingly, the body was wrapped in a 'kafan' (shroud) and placed in a tightly sealed coffin.
Read: Yakub Memon, convicted for 1993 Mumbai blasts, hanged in Nagpur Jail
Mumbai Police had decided not to allow Yakub's family to carry the body in a procession. "Only those very close to the family would be taking part in his last rites," a senior police officer said.
Since Yakub's father Abdul Razzak and other family members were buried at the Marine Lines cemetery, Yakub's family had wished to perform his last rites there, another police officer said.
Security has been stepped up in Mumbai, especially in Mahim where Yakub's family stay as well as other sensitive localities of the metropolis, and over 400 people have been detained as a preventive measure.
Quick Response Teams of police, formed after the 26/11 terrorist attacks, have been deployed at a few places, including the Al Hussaini building where the Memon family lives and in Marine Lines, where the burial arrangements have been made.
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A team of doctors declared him dead after about half-and-hour of the scheduled hanging, when his body was brought down. Chief Judicial Magistrate of Nagpur M M Deshpande was present in the Fansi Yard.
She read out the operating part of the TADA court order, which awarded capital punishment to Yakub before he was made to stand on a stool and the lever pulled by the hangman.
Entry of Bada Qabristan, at Marine Lines, where Yakub Memon is to be buried today (Photo: DC)
His brother Suleman had moved an application last evening to the Nagpur jail authorities requesting that the body be handed over to the family. The request was accepted and accordingly, the body was wrapped in 'Kafan' (shroud) and placed in a tightly sealed coffin box.
Later, the body was taken to airport and flown to Mumbai. Both Suleiman and Usman boarded the same flight. The mortal remains of Memon will be laid to rest in a Muslim cemetery after the usual last prayer 'Namaj-e-Janaja' later today.
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Tight security arrangements were made in and around the Central Prison in Nagpur. Quick Response Teams (QRT) were deployed. The authorities also clamped section 144 of CrPC (unlawful assembly) last evening.
A large number of onlookers gathered at some distance outside the jail.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police, which has not permitted Yakub's family to carry the body in a procession, has made all arrangements to perform the burial at a cemetery in Marine Lines here.
"We have not permitted Yakub's family to reach the cemetery in any procession taking into account law and order situation and only those very close to the family would be taking part in his last rites," a senior police officer said.
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"We have already gathered personal details of the people who would be with Yakub's family," he added. Since Yakub's father Abdul Razzak was buried at the Marine Lines cemetery and some of his family members who passed away earlier were also buried there, hence Yakub's family has wished to perform his last rites there only, another police officer said.
Alternative arrangements have also been made for burial at the Mahim cemetery, he said.
Heavy police force has been deployed at the Marine Lines cemetery, where Memon is likely to be buried.
"We are monitoring and reviewing the security arrangements regularly," Mumbai Police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni said.
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Besides monitoring the law and order situation, smooth traffic movement in the area was also being ensured by Mumbai Police.
Memon, who was the lone convict sent to gallows in the serial blasts which claimed 257 lives across the financial capital of country in 1993, lost a series of legal battles for stay on his execution over a period of time.
His mercy petition under Article 71 was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee.
Even after the rejection of mercy petition by the President, Memon filed another mercy petition himself on July 21, the day when his curative petition was dismissed.
Read: Yakub Memon execution: Tight security in Mumbai
The mercy petition was contended that his earlier mercy plea was filed by his brother and hence, he was entitled to file his own petition.
As a last minute effort to save 53-year-old Memon from gallows, his lawyers challenged the issuance of black warrant on July 13 contending that the death warrant was issued before the apex court could decide the curative petition.
Read: 1993 Mumbai blasts: Memon family members also faced trial
On this, the bench of Supreme Court comprising Justices Anil Dave and Kurian Joseph gave a split verdict, prompting Chief Justice H L Dattu to constitute a three-Judge bench headed by Justice Deepak Mishra, which finally rejected all the arguments of defence and upheld the decision of the lower court to send him to gallows.
The bench felt there was no procedural lapses in the curative petition. Its validity was upheld by the apex court.
