Memon himself has eluded investigating agencies in India and the Interpol since the blasts, but his brothers Yakub, Issa and Yusuf and his sister-in-law Rubina are among the 100 people convicted by the special TADA court in Mumbai.

All of them had been found guilty of being party to the conspiracy behind the blasts. Yakub, a chartered accountant, has also been held guilty of arranging the distribution of funds for the conspiracy and of distributing arms and ammunition.

Rubina is the wife of Memon's brother Suleiman, who was acquitted by the court of Judge P D Kode.

On the other hand, Yakub was convicted while his wife Raheen was acquitted. The court also let off Memon's mother Haneefa.

Memon's father Abdul Razzak Memon, also an accused in the case, died during the 13-year-long trial.

Rubina, Yusuf and Essa were held guilty primarily for allowing their flats to be used for meetings by conspirators.

It was a Maruti [Get Quote] van registered in Rubina's name that provided police here with the first clue in the case as it led them to Memon's locked residence here and thereon to his accountant Asgar Mukadam, now sentenced to death.

The three brothers face a death sentence for criminal conspiracy. In Rubina's case, the prosecution has not sought capital punishment.

The TADA court has so far sentenced 92 of the 100 convicts.

The members of the Memon family were arrested by the CBI in 1994, a year after the blasts, but they claimed they had returned to India from Pakistan and surrendered voluntarily.

After his conviction, Yakub, in an outburst inside the court, had said Tiger Memon was right in advising them not to return to India.

Among those who are yet to be sentenced are actor Sanjay Dutt [Images], convicted for illegal possession of weapons, and his three friends, convicted for helping him destroy an AK-56 rifle he had obtained from the conspirators.

Dutt and the others -- now free on bail -- have been summoned tomorrow for a weekly appearance in court but their sentences are likely to be pronounced next week.

The actor was convicted under the Arms Act but acquitted under the TADA anti-terror law. He has filed an application in the court seeking his release under the Probation of Offenders Act.

The TADA court, which started handing down sentences to the convicts a few months ago, has awarded capital punishment to 11 people, including those who planted bombs.