India, April 7 -- Abdul Sattar Suleman Mithaiwala, owner of Suleman Usman Bakery, and the sweetshop of the same name on Mohammed Ali Road, which became synonymous with the 1993 riots, died in the early hours of Monday. He was 79.

For years, Sattar Bhai (as he was known) sat in his small office behind the sweetshop, entertaining visitors who dropped in to meet this local celebrity, and offering them special mithais. On regular days, his shop, established in 1936, which remained open from 7 am to 1 am, overflowed with all kinds of nankhatai and aflatoon; during Ramzan, this was one of the go-to places for crowds that flocked to the Minara Masjid area late evenings.

But there was another side to this lively place.

On January 9, 1993, duri...