When everyone had apprehended that he had vanished, that didn’t really happen. Mushtaq 'Tiger' Memon has returned to haunt Mumbai Police’s conscience yet again, not personally but through a phone call. Twenty two years since perpetrating one of India’s deadliest terrorist attacks, leading to the death of close to 300 people after a series of bomb blasts rocked India’s finacial capital, Mumbai, Tiger ranks as one of the most wanted criminals in Mumbai Police’s diary.
Though there has been no direct connection with the police, phone calls tapped at Memon’s family residence in Mumbai informs that Tiger may be planning on taking revenge for his brother, Yakub’s hanging on 30th July.
According to a leaked copy of the transcript of the purported conversation, between Tiger and his mother, on the morning Yakub was hanged at a jail in Nagpur, the conversation holds a sinister tone enougg to make the Mumbai Police go scurrying.
Tiger made the call to his mother at 5:30 am in the morning, barely an hour before Yakub was to be hanged. His mother wasn’t in the state of conversing with his son when her other son was awaiting to face the gallows. The conversation shows that Tiger who has never repented for the blast in Mumbai that killed hundreds is not grieving for his brother’s impending fate, rather talks of revenge, to which his mother didn’t approve of.
The officials from security agencies in Mumbai and Delhi have confirmed the call from Tiger. Tiger Memon and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim were the key conspirators behind the Mumbai blasts. The coordinated attacks across 13 locations in the city on March 12, 1993, claimed 257 lives.
Here is the complete transcript of the conversation between Tiger Memon and his mothe:
Landline phone at Memon’s Mumbai residence rings.
An unidentified man (UM) from the Memon residence picks up the phone. The caller doesn't identify himself but quickly says, " Salam walikum, Hello"
The unidentified male (UM) then replies: Walikum salam Bhai.
Tiger: Ammi Jaggi hai kya. (Is mother awake)
UM: Woh raat bhar soyi nahi hai. (She hasn't slept since last night)
Tiger: Baat karao ( I want to speak to her)
There is a pause of around 30 seconds as the cordless phone is being taken inside to the room where the mother is. While going to the room UM meets someone else who asks who is on the line, UM carrying the phone says, 'Bhaijaan ka phone hai,'.
The Unidentified Male enters a room and tells his mother: "Bhaijaan baat karenge," He repeats it again: "Bhaijaan baat karenge."
There is some murmuring which is not audible. Hanifa apparently doesn't want to talk to Tiger. So the UM insists, "Tum baat to karo."
Hanifa Memon, the mother of Tiger Memon then takes the phone, there are a few moments of silence. In a feeble voice she says something to Tiger that is inaudible.
Tiger: "Salam walikum Ammi khairiyat."
In a feeble voice she says something the voice is inaudible.
Tiger says: "Salam walikum ammi khairiyat?"
Hearing this- the mother Hanifa starts crying. There is a pause for 35 seconds as she sobs.
Tiger then says: "Zulm ki inteha ho gayi hai. Zaya nahi jayega," (This is the height of injustice, this will not go waste.) And repeats it one more time: "Yeh sab zaya nahi jayega,"
Yakub's mother starts sobbing more on the phone now.
So Tiger promises: "Tum ro mat ammi iska inko izafa dena hoga."
Hanfia says something which is inaudible-
Tiger: "main unko chukwaonga" (I will make them pay)
Tiger's mother says in a feeble voice: "Bas ho gaya, Pehle ke vajah se mera Yakub gaya ab aur nahin main dekh sakti.
main nahi dekh sakti
main nahi dekh sakti"
And begins to cry again.
The UM who answered the phone initially then takes the phone again from the mother and says: "Bhai..."
Tiger says: "usko sambhalo, sabko sambhalo"
UM replies: "Woh abhi baat nahi karengi woh ro rahi hai. sab ro rahe hain."
Tiger: "Sabke asoo zaya nahi jayenge" (Everyone's tears will not go waste)
"Sabka khayal rakho" (Take care of everyone)
UM: "Dua pado bhai" (Recite some prayers)
The phone gets disconnected then. The call made from a VOIP connection was bouncing from one Internet Protocol address to another, so the trace was not completed.