TADA court directs release of Mumbai bomb blasts accused Tiger Memon's properties to Central government

A special court in Mumbai recently ordered that 14 properties linked to 1993 Mumbai blasts accused Tiger Memon and his family be released from attachment to be handed over to the Central government [The Competent Authority,SAFEMA v CBI and Ors]. .These include high-value residential, commercial and vacant properties scattered across key areas of Mumbai which have been under attachment for almost three decades. In an order passed on March 26, Judge VD Kedar, the presiding officer of the Designated Court under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, released the properties that had been forfeited to the government under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976 (SAFEMA).“The attachment order dated 14/01/1994 in respect of 14immovable properties as mentioned in Annexture-C are hereby lifted/set aside and the possession of said properties is hereby handed over to the Central Government through Competent Authority from the Court Receiver, High Court, Bombay,” the order said..The 14 properties include a flat in a building in Bandra (West), office premises and an open plot in Mahim, a vacant plot and a flat in Santacruz (East), two flats in a building in Kurla, an office on Mohammed Ali Road, a shop and plot in Dongri, three shops in Manish Market and a building on Sheikh Memon Street.Tiger Memon, an integral part of the criminal conspiracy behind the devastating March 1993 bombings, is accused of smuggling RDX, grenades, and arms into India for the attack that killed 257 people and injured over 700..Authorities had moved to seize properties linked to the Memon family in 1993, believing them to be proceeds of illegal activities. In 1994, the TADA court issued an order to attach these properties and appointed a court receiver to manage them. Over the years, despite challenges by Memon's family, the Court upheld the forfeiture of these assets, which were seen as proceeds from the family’s involvement in smuggling and terrorism.The latest ruling lifts the attachment order and clears the way for the properties to be handed over to the Central government. The Court also ordered the discharge of the court receive who had managed the properties since their attachment..Advocate Shreeram Shirsat along with advocate Nikhil Daga appeared for the SAFEMA.Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salvi appeared for CBI and State of Maharashtra. .[Read Order]