Sale of Memon family graves: Court denies pre-arrest bail to 3

These graves are the property of the Waqf Board and can only be allotted to a family for maintenance, that too after following a due process.

The Mumbai sessions court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to former trustee of Juma Masjid of Bombay Trust, Jazil Nawarange, and businessmen Faiyaz Merchant and Anjum Merchant who were booked over the sale of graves allotted to the family of Tiger Memon at Bada Kabrastan, Marine Drive.

Yakub Memon was executed for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. (HT file photo)

Memon was a prime accused in March 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai and among the four graves allegedly sold by Nawarange is that of Memon’s brother Yakub who was executed for his role in the blasts.

These graves are the property of the Waqf Board and can only be allotted to a family for maintenance, that too after following a due process.

The prosecution said that Nawarange and the co-accused were involved in black marketing and committed the offence in respect of the place which is being used as interment. It also alleged that proceeds of sale were misappropriated.

The Memon family was allotted seven graves at the Bada Kabrastan. According to complainant Mohammed Abdul Rauf Memon, a cousin of Yakub Memon’s, when he went to enquire about the annual maintenance fees for the graves early this year, he learnt that four of the allotted graves had been sold to someone else. He also discovered that the sale receipt had forged signatures.

In his plea, Nawarange claimed that the forefathers of the complainant (Abdul Rauf) were buried at platform No.HBlock 20, Bada Kabrastan but the family had not deposited the maintenance charges of said platform since 1988.

Rauf was allegedly told that the graves had been transferred in the names of Faiyaz and Anjum. He claimed that he paid ₹3 lakh after negotiation. He alleged that he also managed to obtain the receipts issued to Faiyaz and Anjum but those turned out to be forged so he registered the case.