A sessions court in Mumbai has recently instructed the police to ensure the safety of an important witness and his family in the ongoing 1993 serial bomb blast case.
The court, led by Judge V. D. Kedar, emphasized that the man is a key witness for the prosecution, and the trial concerning the recent arrest of seven individuals is set to begin soon.
The court stated, “A sessions court on Wednesday directed Mumbai Police to provide adequate security to an approver in the 1993 serial bomb blast case and his family members.” It further highlighted that the witness’s testimony could be crucial and might be subject to cross-examination by the accused during the trial. Given these circumstances, the court believed that the witness and his family needed substantial protection.
In line with this, the court ordered the Mumbai Police to provide the necessary security under the Witness Protection and Security Act as soon as possible and requested a compliance report within two weeks.
The man in question had originally been charged as an accused in the 1993 bombings but was later pardoned and became an approver. As an approver, he provided detailed information to the investigation team, which helped identify and convict several accused individuals.
The witness has expressed fears for his and his family’s safety, citing threats from both his own community and the high-profile accused in the case. Initially, he was provided with 25 police personnel for protection, but this number was later reduced to just one. He has requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to assign at least five officers for his protection.
Despite multiple appeals, the CBI has yet to respond to his requests. The police informed the court that in March 2024, the city police commissioner ordered three officers from the Protection Branch and four from another division to be assigned to protect the man. The court was told that the request for additional security would be reviewed at a later stage.
The 1993 Mumbai bombings, which took place on March 12, involved twelve explosions at various locations, resulting in the deaths of 257 people and injuries to over 700 others. A total of 123 individuals were arrested in connection with the attacks, and a special court convicted 100 of them. Some accused individuals who had initially escaped were later apprehended, and their trials are being conducted separately.
