Mumbai : Massive arrangements were made by the Mumbai Police in the city post the hanging of Yaqub Memon. The moment people heard the news of Yakub Memon’s body reached Mumbai airport, thousands of people gathered in Mahim to receive his body. The area wore the look of a fortress this afternoon, hours before body of Yakub reached Bismillah Manzil. Almost every inch of the area was cemented with armed security personnel and they outnumbered the locals. Senior IPS officers including head of city police, Rakesh Maria continued visiting neighbourhood while his colleagues sitting in control and command centre of Mumbai Police kept a hawk’s eye on the situation.
Before the body arrived, commissioner of police Rakesh Maria personally did a flag march in the area and kept a tab on the security. Shops in the area, near his house were even closed.
Around 1.20 pm, Yaqub’s body reached Mahim. Memon’s body — wrapped in a white shroud (kafan) and covered under a black funeral cortege — was taken in an ambulance to Mahim and then to the terrace of the Bismillah Manzil building, near his home in Al Husseini building.
For his one glimpse, thousands of locals gathered in the area. The body was given ‘Ghusl’ after the family saw him for the last time after which he was taken near Mahim Dargah for Namaz-e-Janaza.
In heavy security arrangements, police was in co-ordination with the senior people of the locality to handle the situation. And finally his body was then put in an ambulance and sent to Bada Qabristan in Charni Road for his last rites. A pathway was created for the ambulance and the police convoy, comprising of about 7-8 vehicles took the body to Marine Lines.
The road outside Marine Lines opposite which is the Bada Qabristan was thickly crowded by policemen with hardly any movement of private vehicles. Riot control vehicles attended by tough-looking riot police were parked just few feet away. “It is like the lull before the storm, very uncanny but peaceful. We are keeping fingers crossed,” said an officer of Mumbai Police, just outside the burial ground.
Before the Yakub’s body reached the Qabristan, many visitors were already present to participate in his farewell, who had gathered after getting the news that he would be getting buried there. Many IPS officers were seen personally handling the situation and to make sure everything is done peacefully. RAF forces, along with Mumbai police were stationed outside and inside the burial ground. Police kept recording the video of the whole procession in Mahim and as well as Qabrastan.
The ambulance reached Qabrastan at around 4.15 pm and the body was taken inside from the back entrance. Locals who followed the ambulance for Yakub’s last rites reached just few minutes later, followed by another convoy of Rakesh Maria.
A group of youth got emotional after the body was taken inside the Qabrastan, but senior leaders of the community took over the situation. In the end, Yukub was finally buried in the grave at around 5.20pm. Due to heavy police security arrangements and coordination with the senior leaders of the community, everything was done peacefully.
