Dayanand Patil is safe, say police officials

A year after the four blasts on Jangali Maharaj Road on August 1, 2012, the anti terrorism squad, (ATS), which is probing the terror attack assured that the lone person injured in the incident, tailor Dayanand Patil, and his family, are being protected as he is the main prosecution witness in the case. While four low-intensity bombs had exploded, two others were defused.

The horror! Dayanand Patil (inset), the only person injured in the serial blasts on JM Road. File Pics

On that evening, Patil, a resident of Uralikanchan village, 30 km from Pune, who was working as a tailor with a Deccan-based dry cleaner, had picked up a bag containing explosives which later went off in front of Balgandharva auditorium.u00a0Following this blast, three others took place on JM Road within a few minutes The other bombs were kept on the carriers of bicycles.

A senior ATS officer said that Patil's whereabouts cannot be divulged, but assured that he was safe. "Since he is the prosecution's main witness, he and his family have been protected and they have been moved to a secure location," he said. Initially, the ATS and city police had interrogated Patil, deeming him a suspect. However, following investigation his name was cleared.u00a0

It later emerged that Patil was on the way to Pune railway station after discharging his duties at the dry cleaning shop. However, he stopped by at India Against Corruption's agitation for Jan Lokpal bill being held that day. He kept his bag containing his tiffin box on the ground and started watching the proceedings. After some time, he picked up the bag and left. u00a0When he was in front of the auditorium, the explosives in the bag went off and Patil sustained injuries. Cops said that someone had placed the bomb inside when the victim was watching the agitation. u00a0