21 years of the blast: A horrifying conspiracy by husband and wife
New Delhi: Exactly 21 years ago today (25 August 2003), a date came which shook the whole of India along with the country’s economic capital Mumbai. Two car bomb blasts shook Mumbai. More than 50 innocent people lost their lives in the double car bomb blasts, while more than 200 were injured. Even today, the victims and their families shed tears thinking about that horrific scene of the Mumbai bomb blasts.
On 25 August 2003, the first blast took place outside the crowded Zaveri Bazaar, while the second blast took place outside the Taj Mahal Hotel near the Gateway of India. Both the blasts took place in taxis. More than 25 people were killed in the car bomb blast in Zaveri Bazaar. The blast was so powerful that the glass of a jewellery showroom at a distance of about 200 metres was shattered.
After getting the information of the first blast, the police and emergency services reached the spot, by then the news of the second car bomb blast came which shook everyone. There was a blast in a taxi near the Gateway of India, in which 25 people lost their lives. More than 200 were badly injured in it.
The method of both the bomb blasts was the same. The bombs planted in the taxis at both the places blasted at a specific time. A taxi driver died in these bomb blasts, while the taxi driver of the bomb blast near the Gateway of India was saved. With the help of this taxi driver, the police also got success in the investigation of the bomb blasts. With the help of the taxi driver, the police identified the suspects.
Mumbai Police arrested the three main accused in the case, Ashraf Ansari, Hanif Syed and his wife Fahmida Syed. Police investigation revealed that on 25 August 2003, Hanif hired a taxi with his wife and two minor daughters to terrorize Mumbai. After which he took the taxi to Gateway of India. He had also brought a bag full of explosives with him, the family left the bag with the taxi driver saying that they would return after having dinner.
Also Read – Ganja smuggled in a bag, eyes wide open…this is how the conspiracy was exposed
Ashraf, Hanif and Fahmida placed bombs in two different taxis. One taxi driver died in the blasts. While the other was saved. When investigation was done, it was found that these three had connections with Pakistan’s terrorist organization Lashkar. On 27 July, the court convicted all three of the car bomb blasts. On 06 August 2009, the POTA court of Mumbai sentenced the accused Ashraf, Hanif and his wife Fahmida to death.
