For 21 years now, the Mehta family has made it a ritual to visit the spot near Century Bazar in Worli and pay homage to their son, who lost his life here in the serial blasts that rocked the city on March 12, 1993
It has been 21 years since the 1993 bomb blasts that shook the entire city but the families of about 257 deceased are still not in a condition to come out of their huge loss.
Tejas Mehta, who was merely 13-year-old and desired to be in the Indian cricket team, died in the bomb blast that took place at Century Bazaar in Worli at around 2.17 pm. However, Tejas still remains to stay alive in the memories of his parents who visit the spot every year to pay tribute to him and also lit candles there.
1993 blasts, Mehta familyMehta family at the blast site at Century Bazaar paying tribute to their only son who lost his life in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts
The Mehta family used to reside at Nehru Nagar in Worli but post the incident and after loosing their only son they shifted to Vasai, from where they travel every year to Century Bazaar to remember him. Most of the times they are accompanied by their former neighbours and observe a two-minute silence on the road by stopping the traffic for that period.
The family claims that every person involved in the case should be convicted and even people like Sanjay Dutt, however influential they are should not be spared.
Recalling the incident which claimed many lives, Girish Mehta, Tejas’ father, said, “That was a grave day of our lives as we lost our only son in the bomb blast. Tejas had finished school early around 10.00 am, as SSC exams were ongoing. Since he was selected to play a cricket tournament in UK and Tanzania, he wanted to prepare for the event and went for his cricket practice early around 1.30 pm from his regular timing of 3.00 pm.”
He continued, “While on his way from home to Shivaji Park he took the BEST bus number 86 which would have directly dropped him at the ground but going early for the cricket practice cost him his life. I was at Masjid Bunder for some work where I came to know something has happened. After enquiring at home I realised my son was in the same area and went immediately at the spot where I saw dead bodies were lying around. I checked all the hospitals throughout that night only to find his body the next day still intact to his favourite seat in the bus, the seat reserved for handicaps.”
