1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasts: Special Court Orders Release of 14 Properties of Tiger Memon to Centre

Mumbai: A special court on Tuesday issued an order to release 14 properties belonging to Tiger Memon, one of the alleged masterminds in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, to the Central Government.

The 14 properties to be handed over include a flat in Bandra (West), office spaces in Mahim and on Mohammed Ali Road, a vacant plot in Santacruz (East), two flats in Kurla, as well as shops and a building on Sheikh Memon Street, Mumbai, among others. These properties had been in the custody of the Bombay High Court’s receiver since 1994, following a decision by the TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act) court.

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In a ruling, special TADA court judge VD Kedar stated that the "possession of the immovable properties needs to be handed over to the central government." The court further clarified that the properties were "free from encumbrances," and therefore, the "Central government through the competent authority is entitled to get possession of 14 immovable properties."

The release of the properties follows a plea by the competent authority under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEM), which sought the forfeiture of properties linked to Tiger Memon. The SAFEM Act aims to track and seize illegally acquired assets from smugglers and drug traffickers.

The proceedings to seize Memon’s properties were initiated in 1992 after the Maharashtra government issued a detention order under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Act (COFEPOSA). The properties were then attached in 1994 by the special TADA court as part of the ongoing trial of the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast case.

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Despite notices being sent to Tiger Memon and his family, they did not respond to the competent authority's petition. After reviewing the case, the special judge concluded that the 1994 attachment order should be set aside, allowing the properties to be transferred to the central government by the 1993 forfeiture order.

On March 12, 1993, a series of bombings across Mumbai left 257 people dead and more than 700 injured. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) subsequently conducted an extensive probe into the attacks. It found underworld don Dawood Ibrahim as the mastermind, with his associates, including Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa, allegedly working in collaboration with Pakistan 's ISI.