Mumbai: A star witness in the 1993 blast case has moved the special court for protection from gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides, especially after the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique.

The accused turned approver was granted pardon as he disclosed intricate details of the conspiracy behind the serial bomb blast, including the identity of key conspirators and executors.

As the court was to begin the third set of trials in the case, the witness has approached it for protection. The special court had asked the CBI to look into the matter and do the needful.

However, on Tuesday, he moved the court again for protection, seeking at least 10 guards to protect him and his family after Siddique’s murder. In his plea the approver has said, “The protection department was directed to provide adequate security… a committee was formed and report has been filed. But the situation remains the same and the situation is bad after the demise of Baba Siddique…”

In his previous plea, the approver had claimed that there had been several attacks on him and his family since the time he decided to turn approver. He claimed that he identified all the accused in the court during the trial, which has resulted in conviction of several of them. As a sequence thereof, he has incurred the wrath of his own community as well as the high profile accused. Now, he faces a threat to his life.