Key witness who had identified Ajmal Kasab dies in Mumbai

A key witness, from the Mumbai 26/11 bomb blasts, who had identified terrorist Ajmal Kasab during the case trial, died at his house in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Harishchandra Shrivardhankar was a resident of Thane and was a key witness. He had survived two bullets and had also hit Ajmal Kasab's accomplice Abu Ismail with his office bag. The incident had taken p;ace near Cama Hospital in South Mumbai.

He was the first witness to identify and testify against Ajmal Kasab. However, the witness was spotted lying on a footpath in a critical condition few days ago. The family had claimed that the family could not afford his medical treatment. Following this, former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had checked on the medical condition of Shrivardhankar at a private hospital in Kalyan two weeks back, sources said.

Fadnavis had announced that the BJP would provide Rs 10 lakh to help Shrivardhankar''s family. He is survived by his wife, two sons and daughters- in-law.

Kasab was hanged in Pune's Yerwada jail in secret on November 21, 2012 after a court trial.