Yakub Memon likely to be buried at Marine Lines Muslim cemetery in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Yakub Memon's body will be handed over to his family and will be brought back by air to Mumbai for the funeral. He was hanged in Nagpur Central Jail on Thursday morning. The police have increased security at the Marine Lines Muslim cemetery, where he is likely to be buried.

"Security has been reviewed and tightened in and around the Chandanwadi Muslim cemetery. Memon's father Abdul Razzak was buried there and some of his family members who passed away earlier were also buried there. We are doing our job," said a senior police officer.

Nagpur jail authorities said they would hand over Yakub's body to his family at 11am after the execution and other formalities are completed. The debate over handing over of the body continued till late in the evening as prison authorities were initially in favour of completing the last rites within the prison, citing a possible aggravation of law and order situation during a funeral outside.

Police personnel have been deployed near the Marine Lines cemetery gates and plainclothes personnel are making rounds of the lanes around the cemetery. The likely route to be taken by the hearse from the Memons' Mahim residence to the burial ground has been decided and the police are geared up to clear traffic along the route.

The police said they are ready for the funeral and have collected details of grave diggers and cemetery officials who are likely to be present during the burial. "We are taking all precautions. Once his (Yakub's) body is brought, the cops will be everywhere on the streets to handle traffic and law and order," said the senior officer.

Alternative burial arrangements have been made at the Mahim cemetery.