Mumbai blasts: Jumbo chowkie deal had a deadly impact

A police chowkie that stood in the bustling area near Pancharatna building at Opera House — where a bomb blast with maximum intensity took place on Wednesday — was last year sold to Jumbo King, a vada pav franchise, for Rs70 lakh by the Diamond Merchants’ Association. Following the terror strike, relatives of the blast victims, mostly diamond traders, rued the lack of security in the area.

“There used to be three to four policemen sitting in the chowkie. After the high court ordered demolition of illegal chowkies, the association asked the police department to pay for regularisation of the structure to the BMC. They were also asked to pay the market value,” sources told DNA.

After the police authorities refused to pay the money, the structure was sold to Jumbo King. “Some of us had protested against the move. But the association turned a deaf ear to our fears,” said a member on condition of anonymity.

Association secretary Bharat Ghadiyali shies away from taking responsibility for the decision saying he was not secretary when the chowkie was sold. He said he was not aware of the details and that association president Bharat Shah is the best person to answer why the chowkie was sold. Despite repeated attempts, Shah could not be contacted.

The chowkie was built after the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai and was an initiative of the then Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India president Manhar Bhansali. Six traders had contributed to the construction of the chowkie.

The structure was handed over to the Diamond Traders' Association which was the local body.