Mumbai 1993 blasts: Victim from Malad recalls horror of 'Black Friday' and his 40 surgeries

Kirti Ajmera was at Bombay Stock Exchange when one of the blasts took place.

Mumbai, on March 12, 1993, witnessed one of the most devastating terror attacks in the city. The police investigations revealed that the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai were a coordinated attack which took place at multiple locations across the city, killing over 250 people and injuring over 1,300 others.

It was just a usual day for Mumbai, when on Friday, March 12, 1993, at around 1:30 pm, the city was left shaken with a series of powerful blasts. The day was termed as 'Black Friday' for the country.

65-year-old Malad resident and a former stock broker Kirti Ajmera, who was at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on the day when series of Bombay blasts took place in Mumbai. He was left with a cracked ribcage and glass shards in his body in the blast.

Ajmera told mid-day.com, "It has been 30 years since the 1993 bomb blasts took place and I still await for justice and compensation."

He said, "On March 12, 1993, I narrowly escaped death when a bomb exploded in front of her at the Bombay Stock Exchange. I have underwent around 40 surgeries since the incident. The right side of my body still hurts me. I have had more than 40 operations but the pieces of glasses are still there in my body.

The first blast took place at the Bombay Stock Exchange, followed by a series of explosions at other important locations in the city, including the Air India building, Century Bazaar, Zaveri Bazaar, Mahim's Fishermen's Colony and Plaza Cinema.

Ajmera recalled, "After the blast, my arm was opened and hanging and if I had not kept myself steady, it would have fallen off my body. I someone managed to reach the hospital. The huge and sharp shards of glasses had broke my ribs and ruptured my lungs. The right side of my face was also shattered by huge pieces of glass. Another shard that ruptured my inner ear had to be removed in one of the surgeries.

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Ajmera added, "Till today I am suffering in pain. I wished the government helped me in my pain. I think I have probably knocked on every door of the government after the serial bomb blasts for financial aide for my medical expenses, I expected compensation, I have spent more than Rs 40 lakhs on the treatment of my injuries. In the initial years many MLAs, MPs, ministers had come to my house or met me, but there was little they could do financially help me. I still hope would be some justice for me."

The investigations in the matter revealed that the blasts were the result of a well-planned conspiracy hatched by Underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his associates. The Mumbai Police made several arrests and declared my as wanted in the case.

The police investigations also revealed that the explosives for the blasts were brought into the city through the sea route and were stored at different locations until being used in the blasts that killed and injured people in huge numbers.