The grieving couple from Vasai, who lost their 23-year-old son Harshal Bhalerao in the 2006 serial blasts, accused the government of a botched investigation. "The arrests were made just to pacify public anger, but the real culprits were never caught"
Vasai residents Yashwant and Saguna Bhalerao stand beside a portrait of their son Harshal, who lost his life in the July 11, 2006 Mumbai train blasts. Pics/Hanif Patel
We waited 19 years for justice, but today we are left with only pain and disappointment," said Yashwant Bhalerao, father of one of the 7/11 Mumbai train blast victims, reacting to the court’s decision to acquit all accused.
The grieving couple from Vasai, who lost their 23-year-old son Harshal Bhalerao in the 2006 serial blasts, accused the government of a botched investigation. "The arrests were made just to pacify public anger, but the real culprits were never caught. Our son is still gone, and now they are free." In a tribute, they named their home ‘7/11 Harshal Smruti’, a house built on sorrow, standing as a silent memorial to a son lost and justice denied.
The Bhaleraos outside their Vasai home, named ‘7/11 Harshal Smruti’ in memory of their son, a victim of 2006 train bombings. Pic/Hanif Patel
Harshal, a young computer science graduate, had just started working at an American company in Sakinaka, Andheri. July 11, 2006, was his first day. His father had gifted him a new coat and white shoes the day before. On his way back home, Harshal boarded the ill-fated train where one of the bombs exploded, killing him. "We couldn’t find Harshal anywhere. His name wasn’t on the initial list of victims. Our entire extended family searched hospitals across Mumbai. We kept hoping," recalled Bhalerao.
They finally traced him through his company. “His employer contacted the US embassy, and two days later, we were informed that Harshal’s body was in the mortuary at Bhagwati Hospital, Borivli,” he said. “Most of his body was bandaged, it looked like he was alive when brought in. But his ID and wallet were missing. If it had been found, we could’ve identified him sooner.”
What came next was more shocking. “When we brought his body home, suspicious men in plain clothes entered our house. They seemed to be surveilling us. I still believe they suspected my son was involved. Maybe that’s why he wasn’t treated, even though he was alive when found,” he said. Bhalerao, a retired Income Tax department employee, said he was never convinced by the investigation. “To calm public outrage, they arrested random people. The authorities know the public forgets even the worst tragedies quickly. If the real culprits were caught, none of them would have walked free today.”
(From left) Hansraj Kanojia (who lost his right leg in the blast and now uses a prosthetic), Chirag Chavan (a chartered accountant who was disabled in the blast), BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, Ramesh Naike (father of victim Nandini Naike), and Mahendra Pitale (who lost his arm) speak to the media after the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 accused in the case on July 21.PIC/ASHISH RAJE
The family had been waiting anxiously for Monday’s verdict, hoping for closure. “We truly believed the terrorists would be punished. Instead, all the accused were acquitted. It’s as if justice never existed,” he said. He also criticised the initial police probe as rushed and lacking in evidence. “In the 26/11 attacks, justice was served. But not in our case. This verdict is truly unfortunate,” he said.
Harshal’s mother, Saguna Bhalerao, broke down recalling the day. “I saw the news of the blasts on TV and panicked. Harshal was supposed to be on that train. We tried calling him, but there was no response. What we feared most came true,” she said. To preserve his memory, they named their home in Chulne village, Vasai, as ‘7/11 Harshal Smruti’. “It might be the only home in India named after a terror victim,” said Yashwant, “It’s our way of ensuring that Harshal is never forgotten, even if the justice system has.”
On July 11, 2006, seven bombs exploded in Mumbai suburban trains during the evening rush hour, killing 189 and injuring over 800. The recent Bombay High Court verdict acquitting all the accused has caused widespread dismay among the victims’ families.
7/11 verdict: All 12 accused acquitted
The Bombay High Court on Monday acquitted all 12 convicted in the case. The court said the prosecution “utterly failed” to prove its case, calling the confessions “inadmissible” and possibly extracted under torture. The bench slammed the ATS for a shoddy probe, citing lack of credible evidence, missing witnesses, poor handling of recovered items, and “mechanical” application of MCOCA.
Maharashtra government will challenge the acquittal of 12 accused in the 7/11 Mumbai train bomb blasts case by the Bombay High Court in the Supreme Court, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. Five had been sentenced to death, seven to life. All walk free now.
They jailed the wrong men: 7/11 survivor slams verdict
Sabir Khan, blast survivor
“If the right people had been caught, today’s verdict might have been different”: 7/11 blast survivor Sabir Khan. Khan, who was injured in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts, expressed his disappointment over the court’s verdict. He told mid-day, “When they couldn’t find the real culprits, they just picked anyone and put them behind bars. Had the right people been arrested, maybe today’s decision would have been different.”
Recounting the tragic day, he said, “Around 6 pm, I boarded a train from Mira Road to Bandra. The blast occurred between Mira Road and Bhayandar in my coach. By sheer luck, I was standing on the left side near the door, while the explosion happened on the right side. Around seven people died in that blast.” “I had injuries on my hand and ear. Even today, I have about 10 per cent hearing loss in one ear,” he added.
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