'Police Arrested Anyone To Quell Public Anger': Father Of 7/11 Mumbai Blast Victim Slams Acquittal

“I am unhappy with the verdict, but I am not surprised. Back in 2008, when the police arrested the accused, even then, the police departments were fighting among themselves to take credit. At that time, I realised that justice would not be served. They arrested suspects only to quell public outrage, and they did not have any evidence,” stated Yashwant Bhalerao in anger and despair.

Bhalerao’s 23-year-old son, Harshal Bhalerao, died in a bomb blast on a local train in Mumbai in 2006. On July 11, 2006, a series of bomb blasts took place on suburban local trains in Mumbai, killing 189 passengers. Harshal Bhalerao, a young man working as a software engineer at Ibex Software in Andheri East, was also killed in the blast.

Harshal Bhalerao's family

As the final verdict in the case was pronounced on Monday, his parents sat at home watching TV since morning. Harshal’s father, Yashwant Bhalerao, was disappointed to hear the verdict but was not shocked. After the verdict, he spoke to FPJ, expressing a mix of anger and despair: “When the police arrested the accused, they fought among themselves for credit. At that time, I realised they had arrested anyone but did not have strong evidence. Whether the arrested people were really terrorists or not, no one knew. They arrested anyone under public pressure. When the verdict came in 2015, I told the media the same thing — they would appeal, and then they asked me again. Now the court’s verdict states that there is no strong evidence against the accused.”

The bitter memories of those days still fill Harshal’s mother, Saguna Bhalerao’s, eyes with tears. When she heard the news of the bomb blast on TV that day, she was overwhelmed with grief because Harshal was supposed to be travelling by train at that time. “I was praying in my heart that Harshal would not be on that train. His phone was not ringing. But what happened was not what I prayed for,” she said, bursting into tears. “My son will never return, but the terrorists should have been punished,” said Saguna Bhalerao.

Harshal had completed his computer course from KC College, Churchgate, after graduating in commerce. He had just started working at a company in Andheri. July 11 was his first day at work. His father had bought him new white shoes the day before. While he was returning from work on his first day, the bomb exploded on the train, and he lost his life. Coincidentally, Harshal’s father, Yashwant Bhalerao, was also travelling in the same train that day, but in the second-class compartment.

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The Bhalerao family was devastated by their son’s death. To keep his memory alive, they named their new house in Vasai’s Manikpur village ‘7/11 Harshal Smriti’. This is believed to be the only house named in memory of a victim of the blasts.

Recalling that day, Harshal’s father, who was an Income Tax officer, said, “That day was Harshal’s first day at his new job. His boss knew me. He called me and asked if I wanted to talk to Harshal. I told his boss no — first he had to learn the work. I told him not to spare him just because he was my son. After that, I never spoke with him again.”