Pune blast: German Bakery owner hopes to rise from the ashes

About three weeks after the terror attack on the German Bakery here, police have given an oral clearance to its owner to take possession of the eatery that was blasted in a bomb explosion killing 17 people and injuring over 50.

However, the Kharose family who owns the place in the Koregaon Park area---- which also houses the two perceived terrorist targets, namely the Osho commune and Chhabad House (the Jewish centre) ---- is in no hurry to retake the shattered structure that once bustled with a constant flow of customers with a fair sprinkling of foreigners living in the city.

"It is just an oral communication from a Pune police officer suggesting we can take possession of the place. But we are awaiting a clear and written directive from the authorities giving permission to start the rebuilding exercise", Snehal Kharose told PTI.
 
She said police had also told the family that the work of cleaning the debris and putting the place in order should be undertaken in their (police) presence in order to keep track of any possible piece of evidence untraced so far.

"We have only removed perishable commodities to prevent rotting," she added. 

The owner said after necessary clearance from the authorities and required financial support she was hopeful of restarting the eatery within a month's time.

Meanwhile, the family has petitioned to the district collector Chandrakant Dalvi to sanction a sum of Rs20 lakhs for raising the blasted structure, on the basis of the police 'panchanama' evaluating the damage, Kharose said. The popular eatery was attacked on February 13.