MUMBAI, November 11: High drama prevailed at the designated TADA court trying the March 1993 serial bomb blasts case. Prime accused Yakub Memon threw fell unconscious along with his father Abdul Razak Memon and were admitted to the jail hospital.

According to sources, the incident took place when the matter for exemption of Abdul Razak and his wife Hanifa from attending the court came up before TADA Judge PD Kode. When the judge asked Abdul Razak why the exemption should be considered, Yakub Memon stood up and told the judge that his father would not be in a position to reply and he would answer on his father's behalf.

The judge refused to allow Yakub to speak on his father's behalf. Abdul Razak told the judge that he has been suffering ailments from head to toe and is not in a position to attend court proceedings. He then started crying upon which his son shouted at the judge. The other accused tried to pacify him but in vain. Yakub then lost his consciousness and collapsed on the ground. Seeing his son collapse, Abdul Razak too became unconscious, sources said.

A doctor was then summoned and both father and son were admitted to the Jail Hospital. An application for interim bail on behalf of the Memon parents was filed today by advocate Majeed Memon and will come up for hearing tomorrow.

This is the second time that Yakub has been agitated in court. Early last year, Yakub created a drama when TADA judge refused to grant his wife Rahin and sister-in-law Rubina bail. Yakub was then treated at the JJ Hospital by a psychiatrist for quite some time.

Earlier in the court all accused who are still in jail wore black bands during the court proceedings protesting the police lathi-charge on Samajwadi Party (SP) activists who were demanding the release of all TADA detenues.

All accused languishing in jail in connection with the serial blasts in March 1993 will go on a token hunger strike on Friday as a mark of protest against their confinement.

According to advocate Waris Pathan, the accused have become frustrated and if the government does not look into their demands they plan to boycott court proceedings from November 17.

The railway police had lathi-charged a group of SP activists who tried to halt the August Kranti Rajdhani Express at Mumbai Central last evening.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.