Mumbai, July 18: Suleman Memon and Essa Memon, accused in 1993 bomb blasts case and brothers of prime conspirator Tiger Memon, today pleaded before a special court that CBI had not produced any evidence to show their complicity in the crime. Their lawyer Harshad Ponda refuted allegations of CBI that Suleman had financed the preparations for the serial explosions which shook the city on march 12, 1993.

Cbi had argued that Memon brothers had planned the bomb blasts to avenge the demolition of disputed structure in Ayodhaya and also the massacre of Muslims in the subsequent communal riots. They alleged that the Memon family disappeared a day before the blasts to Pakistan via Dubai.

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Defence lawyer Ponda said CBI had failed to produce evidence to show that Suleman lived with other members of Memon family in al-Husseini building where RDX was stuffed in vehicles used in the blast and conspiracy meetings were held. He said Suleman was a Non-Resident Indian settled in Dubai since 1991. He obtained NRI status a decade ago and was having business in Dubai. He was in Dubai when the blast took place and there was no evidence to show that he was in India prior to the explosions and went to Dubai thereafter.

Ponda argued that CBI could not prove its allegation that Suleman travelled to Pakistan along with other members of memon family after the 1993 blasts and that he returned to Dubai on a Pakistani passport under an assumed name.

As regards Essa Memon, Ponda argued that he only owned a flat in al-Husseni building where the Memons lived. CBI had no evidence to indicate Essa's role in the crime.
Bureau Report