The Bombay blasts of 1993 were a horrendous event. Bombay has become Mumbai and it has taken 24 years to convict six men who killed 257 people. Some of the prime accused including Dawood Ibrahim who masterminded the crime is yet to be brought to book. The 1993 blasts were the darkest event in the history of Indian crime. Mumbai’s mafia joined hands with cross-border terror via Dubai and Lisbon. Sophisticated policing was called for to tackle the wide network. But even after such a long gap, the internationalizing of the search for the criminal has not been accomplished. For instance, Dawood Ibrahim is reported to be in Pakistan but cannot be nabbed. India’s criminal justice moves at a glacial pace. Its foundations are caught in a time warp.
Prosecution in the 1993 Mumbai blast case is yet to be completed. Not merely the victims but the entire society is frustrated by the mills of justice grinding exceedingly slow. One accused person was acquitted last week but he has already been brutalized by treatment as an under trial for so many years. India should improve its record of combating crime if it wishes to win the confidence of Interpol. Organised crime helps terror groups. India’s safety depends on the efficiency of its criminal justice system.