November 17: Justice P D Kode today granted interim bail to Abdul Razak Memon and Hanifa Memon parents of prime accused Tiger Memon in the bomb blasts case. The grant of bail, according to court-watchers, is set to influence many other cases in the country which comes under the purview of the TADA Act.

Defence counsel Majeed Memon argued that the two persons were suffering from several ailments and should be exempted from appearing in the court. The judge granted the interim bail to the elderly Memons, for one month, on medical and humanitarian grounds. Both the interim bails were granted and the judge asked the Memons to pay one lakh rupees each, as surety. The Chief Public Prosecutor Natarajan conceded and recorded his ``no objection'' for granting bail to Razak Memon and left Hanifa Memon's case to the discretion of the court, following which the judge allowed cash bail to both the Memons.The judge's decision will become clear only after a month when the interim period will lapse. To extend or not is under his discretion. The defence counsel submitted his case and said there is no chance where the Memons would flee from the case or misuse the bail.

The judge granted interim bail to the Memons on the condition that they should not leave the jurisdiction of Andheri East Police Station, where they are going to reside during the bail period. The Memons were not able to even sit in the court for long hours and were under treatment at JJ Hospital for various physical complications. Though the prime accused is absconding, eight members of the Memon family are in jail. With the bail granted to Memon's parents, there are six more from the family behind bars. Memon's parents have been in jail for the last three years. The decision to grant bail to them will be a turning point for others also in line for bail.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.