Yakub Memon gets death sentence
TADA court also announces life terms for his sister-in-law Rubina and brothers Essa and Yusuf, reports Mustafa Plumber.
A special court sentenced to death Yakub Memon, one of the prime conspirators in the 1993 serial blasts case, on Friday. The Terrorist And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court also announced life terms for his sister-in-law Rubina and brothers Essa and Yusuf.
The court said: "The four were sentenced not for their relation with prime accused Tiger Memon but for the individual role each of them played."
The death sentence for Yakub, who claims to have surrendered, is an indicator that the 35 absconding prime conspirators too will get the capital punishment if arrested. Yakub was found guilty of conspiracy, facilitating and disbursing funds for terrorist acts and arranging tickets for other convicts who received arms and ammunition training in Pakistan.
"Oh my lord, forgive this man as he knows not what he has done," said the 45-year-old Yakub as soon as special judge PD Kode pronounced his sentence. He rushed out before Kode could read out the charges he had been sentenced for.
The court had earlier sentenced 39-year-old Rubina to life imprisonment for providing her car for commission of terrorist acts.
The court then pronounced the same sentence for 34-year-old Yusuf and 33-year-old Essa for providing their flats in Mahim's Al-Husseini building for commission of terrorist acts.
The court gave Yusuf and Essa life terms after considering their health; Yusuf suffers from a mental disorder while Essa has a brain tumour.
Rubina's husband Suleiman said: "We don't have any option but to appeal to the higher court." The eldest of the Memon brothers, Suleiman was acquitted in the case earlier.
"
Aurat hone ka bhi lihaz nahi kiya judge ne
(The judge did not consider that Rubina is a woman)," said a relative of the Memon family, on condition of anonymity. "Life sentence is too much for just lending a car and that too for a woman."
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