SC stays till further order the death sentence of Yaqub Memon

New Delhi, Jan 28 (UNI) The Supreme Court today stayed till further orders the death sentence awarded to Yaqub Memon in 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Tarun Chatterjee and R V Raveedran also granted bail to Essa Memon alias Anjum Abdul Razak Memon who was also awarded life imprisonment by the TADA court, Mumbai.

The apex court also issued notices to the CBI on the appeal of Yaqub and on the bail applications of Rubina Suleman Memon, Yusuf Abdul Razak Memon, Sardar Shah Wali Khan, Muzamil Umar Kadri, Khalil Ahmed Sayed Ali Nazir and Zamir Sayed Ismail Qadri for February 5.

Earlier, counsel for the petitioners contended before the court that Essa had already undergone 12 years of imprisonment and also challenged the conviction of the petitioners by the TADA court. The petitioners contended that the court had also committed a grave error in appreciating the evidence produced by the CBI and the case against the petitioners had not been proved beyond all reasonable doubt by the CBI.

The CBI has, however, supported the trial court's judgement and contended that the convicts were involved in a conspiracy which took over 200 lives on March 12, 1993 when Mumbai was rocked by a series of bomb blast which left thousands injured.

The conspiracy was reportedly hatched to set scores for 1992 communal riots which had taken place in the aftermath of the demolition of Babri Masjid in December 1992.

UNI AKS/SC LPB RS1634