Tiger Memon, a bank clerk-turned-militant, is one of the most wanted persons by Interpol and CBI. [1]The Hindu He is considered one of the key conspirators of the 1993 Bombay serial blasts. Tiger, a former member of the criminal organisation led by Dawood Ibrahim, “D – Company,” has been declared as a Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) [2]Office of Foreign Assets Control for his part in the D – Company. [3]The Hindu
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzaq Memon [4]India Today better known as Tiger Memon was born on Thursday, 24 November 1960 (age 62 years; as of 2022) in Bombay. According to some media outlets, while his father was running a workshop named ‘Famous Engineering and Welding’ in Mustafa Bazaar, Byculla, Mumbai, Tiger quit his studies and decided to support his family by getting a job. [5]The Telegraph
Tiger Memon in 1989
Family
Tiger Memon belongs to a Sunni Muslim family [6]India Today which traces its roots in the Kutch region. [7]India Today
The Memon Family – A picture from the wedding of Tiger’s brothers – Yakub and Ayub
Parents & Siblings
Tiger’s father, Abdul Razzak Memon, was an avid cricketer who played in the Mumbai League. [8]The Economic Times Abdul Razzak was known as ‘Tiger’ – named after Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (deceased), [9]The Telegraph an Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian cricket team with whom Abdul Razzak had played various matches. [10]The Telegraph Reportedly, Razzak was arrested for the 1993 blasts case as he was also under the radar of the Indian government, but he was granted bail after a few years as he fell sick. [11]The Economic Times In 2001, at the age of 73, Tiger Memon’s father died. [12]The Economic Times Tiger Memon’s mother, Hanifa Memon, is a homemaker. [13]The Economic Times Hanifa Memon was booked for supporting her accused son Tiger and his friends; [14]The Hindu Business Line however, she was released on permanent bail and was also absolved by the TADA court due to the lack of evidence against her. [15]The Hindu Business Line Tiger Memon has five brothers, Arif aka Suleman, Yakub Abdul Razzaq Memon (deceased), Ayub, Anjum otherwise Essa, and Yusuf (deceased).
Hanifa Memon – Tiger Memon’s mother
Abdul Razzak Memon (right) with Raheen Memon (Yakub’s wife) waiting outside the TADA Court
From left – Tiger Memon, Essa Memon, Yusuf Memon, and Ayub Memon
Suleman Memon – Image captured when he was on his way to meet Yakub in Nagpur Central Jail
Yakub Memon
Wife & Children
Tiger Memon got married to Shabana at Saboo Siddique Hall in Byculla, Mumbai. [16]The Telegraph According to some sources, she was also a suspect in the 1993 Bombay blasts; however, the officials couldn’t get her. [17]The Telegraph Shabana and Tiger have three children, two sons, Huda Ahmed Jamal and Jazib Ahmed Jamal, and one daughter, Hina Dadabhoy.
Tiger Memon’s wife, Shabana Memon
Religion
Tiger Memon follows Islam. [18]The Telegraph
Journey From a Clerk to one of the Top Smugglers
According to some sources, Tiger’s father, Razzak Memon, helped him get a clerk’s job at the Konkan Mercantile Bank in South Mumbai as Razzak was considered a powerful person in the Memon Community. [19]The Telegraph It is claimed that one day at the job, Tiger was asked to get tea for a visitor by the bank manager which was so disrespectful to Tiger that he held the manager by his collar and slapped him hard after which the manager got collapsed on his seat. [20]The Telegraph According to some reports, he chose a shortcut to become rich and successful and walked on the path of smuggling and became one of the top smugglers. [21]The Telegraph Some media outlets claimed that ‘Tejrath International,’ a company dealing with the export of meat and meat products, was taken over by Tiger Memon from his brother Yakub; Tiger used the company’s name as the front for his deals of smuggling. [22]The Telegraph Some media outlets claim that Tiger used to smuggle electronic items [23]DNA and precious metals. [24]India Today In an interview, one of the neighbours of Tiger Memon revealed that Tiger seemed to be successful, stylish, and confident after his “business” started gaining profits. [25]India Today He also revealed that Tiger was the first person to own a red-coloured ‘Maruti 1000’ car with the number ‘GJI 3737.’ [26]India Today Reportedly, he had such a radical mindset that he didn’t mix up with people from other communities. [27]The Telegraph
The Impact of the Demolition of Babri Masjid
On 6 December 1992, organised by the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a rally involving around 150,000 people turned violent and demolished the mosque, which was claimed to be built at the same site where an ancient Ram temple was situated in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. [28]The Wire The leaders of the said parties included LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. [29]The Wire The demolition was followed by attacks on the people from the Muslim community in which almost eighteen Muslims were murdered, and many shops, houses, and around twenty-three local mosques were destroyed. [30]The Wire The rage spread to different parts of the country including Mumbai, where around two thousand people were killed. [31]The Wire During the communal tension in Mumbai, the Hindu hooligans destroyed Tiger’s office named ‘Tejrath International’ by arson as they were familiar with Tiger’s aversion to Hindus; [32]The Telegraph however, Yakub’s office was spared by the group. [33]The Telegraph
Babri Masjid in Ayodhya before its demolition
The Demolition of Babri Masjid – 6 December 1992
1993 Bombay Blasts – A Revenge
According to sources, the destruction of personal property in the communal conflagration set Tiger Memon in a rage to take revenge for the loss for which he decided to exterminate the whole city. [34]The Telegraph Reportedly, Tiger turned his revenge into a religious battle, which made his way to executing the plan easier. [35]The Telegraph On 12 March 1993, Mumbai was shaken by a series of almost 12 bomb blasts in the city at different places, which included the Bombay Stock Exchange, Katha Bazaar, Sena Bhawan, Century Bazaar, Fisherman’s Colony in Mahim Causeway, Air India Building, Zaveri Bazaar, Sea Rock Hotel, Plaza Cinema, Juhu Centaur Hotel, AirPort Bay – 54, Worli, and the Post Office. [36]News 18 Reportedly, the blasts continued for nearly two hours. The sources claimed that the blasts were planned by using briefcases, scooters, and cars, which had bombs activated one after another with a gap of around ten to fifteen minutes [37]News 18 and were planted in public places, which killed over 250 people, while around 700 people were injured. [38]News 18 Reportedly, Tiger fled to Dubai a day prior to the blast and later moved to Pakistan, [39]The Economic Times where he was believed to be hiding along with Dawood Ibrahim, one of India’s most wanted men. [40]The Economic Times It is claimed that Tiger and Dawood had planned the Bombay blasts; however, in a telephonic interview, Dawood denied his involvement in the bombings and any kind of personal and professional relations with Tiger Memon. [41]India Today
Revelation by Younger Brother – Yakub Memon
Reportedly, Yakub had a suitcase filled with pieces of evidence against the involvement of Pakistan, Tiger Memon, Taufiq Jaliawala, a smuggler from Pakistan, and others in the 1993 Bombay Bombings. [42]The Telegraph According to sources, Yakub visited Dubai via Kathmandu and booked his returned tickets prior on a Lufthansa flight to accomplish his motive to reveal the conspirators; however, he got arrested in Kathmandu, where his identity was confirmed as Yakub Memon not ‘Yusuf Memon’ (brother). [43]The Telegraph Reportedly, Yakub helped the Indian officials in collecting shreds of evidence against Pakistan and Tiger Memon. [44]The Telegraph
Declared Wanted
Reportedly, the special court set up under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) confirmed Tiger Memon as the key conspirator of the Bombay serial blasts. According to the sources, the Indian intelligence agencies have been tracking down Tiger Memon, who was claimed to be seen a few times at different locations in Dubai. [45]The Times of India Tiger Memon has been declared wanted by Interpol and CBI. [46]The Hindu
Facts/Trivia
- According to some media reports, Tiger Memon and all his brothers were named by their parents after the prophets mentioned in the Quran and Old Testament. [47]The Telegraph
- Some sources claim that Manjubhai, a hotelier from Nagpara in south Mumbai, was suspected of giving a tip to the customs about a gold consignment worth rupees seven crores, belonging to the smuggling gang for which Memon used to work, which was ceased in 1982. [48]DNA Reportedly, Memon murdered Manjubhai as he was asked to punish him by the said gang, and after this murder, Memon got the nickname ‘Tiger.’ [49]DNA It is also claimed that to escape from the reach of police, Memon collaborated with Dawood Ibrahim and became a member of his smuggling gangs. [50]DNA
- Reportedly, a media outlet interviewed the wanted criminal and the underworld don ‘Dawood Ibrahim.’ In the interview, he denied any personal relationship with Tiger Memon and revealed that he met him a couple of times only. [51]India Today Dawood Ibrahim said,
He used to come to Dubai very often. But I didn’t have any personal relationship or business deal with him. I know him the way I know every Bombayite who indulges in uncha neecha dhanda (shady deals). I have met him a number of times.” [52]India Today
- Reportedly, Tiger was friends with Jaliawala, a smuggler associated with Dawood Ibrahim’s gang, in Dubai. While he was living in Karachi, he insisted his whole family move there. [53]The Telegraph Some sources claim that the Memon family built a luxurious house with (12 bedrooms and its own gymnasium), through money given by Jaliawala and Tiger, named ‘Ahmed House’ worth Rs 1. 16 crores on a Rs 60-lakh plot in the Karachi Development Scheme area. [54]India Today It is also claimed that except for Tiger, the whole Memon family was allowed (by the ISI) to move freely. [55]India Today
- According to sources, the evidence that Yakub had collected against Tiger included twelve Pakistani passports of the Memon family in which father Abdul Razzak was named Ahmed Mohammad Jamal (Pakistani passport no AA 763649), mother Hanifa as Zainab Ahmed (PP no AA 763645), Tiger Memon as Ahmed Jamaal (PP no 762402), Yakub as Yusuf Ahmed (PP no AA 763242), Raheen (Yakub’s wife) as Zeba Yusuf Ahmed (PP no 763646), and Suleman Memon as Aftaab Ahmed (PP no AA 763651). [56]Mumbai Mirror
- After the execution of Yakub Memon, many media outlets reported that his grave was decorated with LED lights and white marble to turn it into a “Mazaar,” a Muslim shrine. The marble stones were coloured green and even the lights were installed so that the grave could be seen in the dark. [57]DNA Reportedly, Tiger Memon threatened the guards at the graveyard after they denied the ‘beautification’ of the grave of his younger brother, Yakub Memon. Pravesh Sarkar, one of the trustees of the graveyard, revealed that he was threatened by Yakub’s cousin at the behest of Tiger Memon. The trustee said,
When we refused to entertain the request of a special grave for Yakub, the cousin said Tiger wants to speak to you.” [58]Times Now
Yakub Memon’s ‘decorated’ grave at Bara Qabristan in Mumbai
- It is claimed that after the execution of Yakub Memon, Tiger talked to his mother over a phone call and assured her payback for the loss of his brother. [59]The Economic Times He said,
Main unko chukwaonga (I will make them pay).” [60]The Economic Times
His mother, Hanifa Memon, asked him to stop the violence and expressed her grief for the loss of one of his sons, Yakub, and the worry for the other child (Tiger). Hanifa Memon said,
Bas ho gaya. Pehle ke vajah se mera Yakub gaya ab aur nahi main dekh sakti. (Stop this, due to the first incident, I have lost Yakub. Now I can’t bear to see any more people dying).” [61]The Economic Times
- In an interview, Congress MLA Usman Majeed claimed that he met Tiger Memon in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir after the 1993 Bombay blasts, which broke out controversy. [62]The Times of India According to Usman Majeed, he was introduced to Tiger by the Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen chief and the founder of the Students Liberation Front, Hilal Beg. [63]The Times of India Usman also claimed that he met Tiger two to three times in the capital of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), Muzaffarabad in 1993. [64]The Times of India Usman Majeed said,
I met Tiger in 1993. I met him 2-3 times. He used to come to our office in Muzaffarabad (capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir). I was not friends with Tiger. Hilal Beg, the founder of the Students Liberation Front and chief of the Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen militant outfit introduced me to him. He was most wanted that time in the country. He had carried out the blasts. I asked him how and why he had done it and what was the reason behind the blasts. He replied that the main reason was the demolition of Babri Masjid and the riots that followed it. He said people, including women, had come to him and told him that they were being killed and he had got emotional. That’s why he carried out the blasts.” [65]The Times of India
According to Usmaan, Tiger was helped by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) [66]The Times of India in executing the blasts, and after Yakub’s surrender, Tiger was worried about being killed by the ISI. [67]The Times of India He added,
ISI helped Tiger in carrying out the blasts. It wasn’t Tiger himself who did it. According to Tiger, everything was done by Pakistan – the plan and the weaponry was provided by them (Pakistan) and the plan was executed by his (Tiger’s) gang on the directions of ISI.”[68]The Times of India
- According to sources, he had opened a restaurant in one of the cities of the Emirates in collaboration with a well-known restaurateur in Mumbai. [69]The Times of India
- ‘Black Friday,’ a 2004 film based on the true event of the serial bomb blasts in Bombay (now Mumbai), was the adaptation of a book by journalist S. Hussain Zaidi – ‘Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts’ (2002).
S. Hussain Zaidi’s ‘Black Friday – The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts’
Actor Pawan Malhotra in the movie ‘Black Friday’ as ‘Tiger Memon’
References
