The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted parole leave for seven days to Rubina Memon, 1993 blast convict and sister-in-law of Tiger Memon, to attend her son’s wedding. The court, however, insisted that she be released on parole under police escort.
Parole is permission that is given to a prisoner to leave prison for a temporary period on the condition that s/he behaves well. Convicts are entitled to parole leave after serving a part of their sentence under the Prisons (Bombay Furlough and Parole) Rules.
A division bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and Shyam Chandak granted parole leave from February 14 to February 20, under police escort. The police have been directed to accompany her in civil dress.
Memom’s advocate Farhana Shah has urged the court to grant her parole without police escort since she is unable to bear the charges. She had also requested the court that in case, the court imposes conditions of parole under police escort, the police be asked to accompany her in civil clothes and not in uniform.
The bench, while allowing her plea, had waived her escort charges and asked the police to accompany her in civil clothes.
Memon had sought parole to attend her son’s wedding on February 17.
Convicted in 2007, Rubina is the sister-in-law of Tiger Memon, the main conspirator of the serial blasts that killed 257 people and left more than 700 injured. Her husband, Suleman, was acquitted in the case due to a lack of evidence.
Rubina's Advocate Farhana Shah pointed out that her client has been out on bail many times during her 16 years of incarceration. Notably, she requested the court to allow the parole leave without police escort, reasoning that her client is unable to foot the high charges.
In 2021, Rubina was released on six-day parole to attend her daughter’s wedding under the police escort. Currently lodged at the Yerwada Central Prison, she has been granted bail twice as an undertrial prisoner, said Shah.
The plea further contends that being a mother, it is her dream to be a part of every function in her son’s marriage. Her kin cannot be punished because of her conviction in the case, it underlined.
