Abdul Rahim Aboobaker, whose taxi (MH-01 G-7792) was completely destroyed in the explosion at Vile Parle, has sought legal aid since he was unable to procure relevant documents from the police and the state for the purpose of claiming compensation.

He was unable to obtain police papers pertaining to the incident, like a spot panchanama, statements of witnesses, post-mortem reports of the driver and the passenger of the vehicle and has sought that the same can be called for by the authorities from the concerned police station.

Aboobaker, who is aggrieved by the loss of his taxi that was their sole source of income, states in his letter that the taxi was purchased after selling his wife’s jewellery in 1994.

He had also carried out repairs on the taxi in June 2008 which further burned a Rs 75,000-hole in his pocket.

Aboobaker, who has an unmarried daughter and two sons employed in Gujarat, claims the taxi was the sole source of income for him and his family and that the insurance policy did not cover the damages as it was insured only for third party claims.

The letter states that driver of the taxi, Mohammed Umar Khalid Shaikh, a migrant from Uttar Pradesh who lived with his wife and three children in Govandi, was killed along with Hyderabad-based advocate Laxminarayan Goyal in the blast at Vile Parle, on the Western Express Highway.

Aboobaker is now seeking compensation for the damage caused to his taxi, which includes payment for loss and reimbursement of expenses incurred thereafter.

Along with the letter, Aboobaker has furnished copies of receipts issued by the Bombay Taximens’s Union, tax receipt, CNG Cylinder test Certificate, a permit number valid till 2010, and other relevant papers to prove ownership of the taxi.

Advocate Rajan Salvi who has been appointed to provide the legal service has forwarded the claim to the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary of Maharashtra and the Chief Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs.

“If they don’t respond within 15 days, we will move the high court,” Salvi said.