Tiger Memon’s kin still in jail despite SC bail

Four days after the Supreme Court granted interim bail to three relatives of Tiger Memon, prime absconding accused in the 1993 serial blasts case, verification of property documents has held up their release from jail. The apex court has asked Tiger’s two brothers Essa and Yusuf and sister-in-law Rubeena to furnish bail bonds of Rs10 lakh each.

The trio were held guilty for the blasts conspiracy and sentenced to life imprisonment. The fourth Memon, Yakub, has been given the death sentence and has not sought interim bail.

Meanwhile, Mubina Bhiwandiwala, the third woman convict in the case to be granted bail, was released from the Yerwada prison on Tuesday. She was asked to furnish two sureties of Rs1 lakh each by the SC.

The four convicts were granted interim bail by the SC on September 7 on the same ground as actor Sanjay Dutt that a copy of the judgment has not been supplied to them. They will have to surrender on receiving a copy of the judgment. The Tada court has fixed September 27 as the date for handing a copy of the judgment to the Memons and to Dutt.

The SC order granting interim bail to Rubeena has been submitted to the Tada court by her husband Suleiman, who was acquitted in the 1993 serial blasts trial. He has furnished the papers of two of his flats as surety for his wife’s release. Court sources said that the police report verifying the documents was expected by Wednesday following which the court can issue the bail bond and release order.

The SC order for the release of Essa and Yusuf on interim bail too is expected to be handed to the Tada court on Wednesday.   Essa has been diagnosed with brain tumour and morbid obesity, a reason for the trial court to award him the life term instead of the death penalty.

Yusuf Memon, the youngest of the Memon brothers, was awarded a life term on health grounds as he is a schizophrenic. While Yusuf and Essa are in the central jail in Aurangabad, Rubeena is lodged in Pune’s Yerawada prison.