Yakub Memon, the convicted terrorist in the 1993 Mumbai bombings case, was hung and his remains were buried in a huge graveyard in South Mumbai. However, a shocking image has emerged in which LED lighting and marble tiles have been put on Yakub Memon’s grave.
Political commentary has also begun as soon as the images gained attention. The BJP claims that Memon’s grave was turned into a tomb while Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister. Ram Kadam, a BJP leader, blamed the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government for this, saying that Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and Rahul Gandhi should apologize to the people of Mumbai.
Yakub Memon was convicted for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts and was sentenced to death. In 2015, the death sentence was carried out after his mercy petition was rejected. He was buried on July 30, 2015, at Bada Cemetery in South Mumbai. Yakub was the only convict awarded the death penalty. An attempt is now being made to turn Yakub’s grave into a tomb. LED lights have reportedly been put on this marble-covered grave. It is guarded 24 hours a day.
It is notable here that Mohammad Abdul Rauf Memon, Yakub’s cousin, had filed a complaint with the LT Marg police in 2020, accusing the trustees of the Juma Masjid Board, under which the Bada Qabrastan is registered, of ‘selling’ the grave sites of the Memon family to another family. As per Waqf rule, grave sites cannot be sold, they are given to respective families only for maintenance.
It was said that the trustees of the graveyard sold Yakub Memon’s grave for Rs 5 lakh. So the question arises if Memon’s family holds ownership of the grave, and if not, why is the tomb being provided VIP treatment? The Burial Waqf Board has control over the Bada Kabrastan location, where Yakub Memon’s remains were buried.
A report by Times Now Navbharat claimed that their reporter had contacted the Qabrastan authorities who stated that the marble slabs and LED lights are a part of a general beautification drive and are not specific to the grave of Yakub Memon.
Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh who had written the letter to then President Pranab Mukherjee seeking mercy for 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon’s execution, was sworn in as a cabinet minister the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, while addressing a rally in Nanded in 2019 had expressed remorse over not being able to save Yakub Memon since Muslims were not in power. He went on to call Muslims who voted BJP as ‘Chhakka’ referring to colloquial derogatory slang for transgender persons.