CBI seeks death penalty for 3 Memon brothers; life term for Rubeena

Mumbai, Sep 15 (UNI) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today demanded death penalty for three Memon brothers, convicted for their involvement in the 1993 serial bomb blasts, arguing it qualified as a '' rarest of the rare case'' in which 257 people were killed, over 700 wounded and properties worth crores of rupees destroyed in India's financial capital.

The prosecuting agency, however, sought life imprisonment for Rubeena, the fourth convicted member of the Memon family; she being a woman and mother of two children. Granted relief until pronouncement of the punishment by the TADA court, Rubeena had spent 32 months in jail.

Arguing on the quantum of punishment to three Memon brothers - Yakub, Yusuf and Essa - who were convicted by the designated court of Mr Pramod Kode on September 12, CBI counsel C S Sharma said since charges against them have been proved, the court should pass a landmark sentence order in this '' rarest of the rare'' case so that it acted a deterrent to criminals. No leniency should be shown to the guilty as that would send a wrong message to the society, the proseuction counsel pleaded.

The three Memon brothers were found guilty under various provisions of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and various other Acts of law.

Earlier, defence counsel Harshad Ponda ...picking up from para one, line one of BY10, LAW-BLASTS-LEAD YAKUB MEMON TWO MUMBAI.

UNI XR SA RP DS1710