With his statement that Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab did not kill former state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Maharashtra Leader of the Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar has stirred uproar.
On November 26, 2008, Pakistani militants opened fire on Karkare, Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ashok Kamte, Inspector Vijay Salaskar, and two other police officers, killing them all outside the Cama Hospital.
However, Wadettiwar claimed that the “RSS-linked cop” was the one who fired the shots that killed Karkare, citing a book by SM Mushrif as evidence.
What transpired on November 26, 2008, in the evening? Who took Hemant Karkare’s life? The chargesheet from the Mumbai Police says thus.
The Mumbai Police chargesheet on the terrorist attack states that the 10 Pakistani terrorists arrived in the city in speedboats from Karachi and immediately dispersed.
Four terrorists made their way to Nariman House, two entered the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, and two entered the Trident Hotel.
At the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST) railway station, Kasab and Abu Ismail Khan conducted attacks that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.
After that, the two went to the Cama Hospital, where they ambushed a police team, injuring Additional Police Commissioner Sadanand Date as well as a few other staff members.
Information about Date’s injuries sustained in the ambush reached Karkare, Kamte, and Salaskar. The three officers then made the decision to go into the alley that led to Rang Bhawan, intending to use the front gate to access the hospital.
They got into the Toyota Qualis jeep driven by Shantilal Bhamre, the ACP of the Pydhonie division, leaving their cars close to the CST station.
They travelled towards Mahapalika Marg via Tayyabji Marg and Rang Bhawan, escorted by ASI driver Balasaheb Bhosale, policeman Jaywant Patil, and operator Yogesh Patil. Bhamre wasn’t informed about it, though.
When Constables Arun Jadhav and Jayawant Patil joined them, they encountered the terrorists who were travelling in the opposite direction on the same lane.
The three officers and another policeman were among the five who died in the ensuing gunfight.
Three shots were fired into Karkare’s chest. This is the case even when the bulletproof vest he was wearing turned out to be inadequate.
The Ram Pradhan Commission also discovered that the three officers’ choice to approach the Cama Hospital through the front gate was impromptu and that they were unprepared for the presence of terrorists there.
Constable Arun Jadhav, who survived the attack, claims that they were also ignorant of the fact that the terrorists had already left the hospital and were travelling in the same route when they arrived at the scene.
According to Jadhav, they did not consider or anticipate that terrorists would choose the same path.
The attackers surprised them just a short distance from the lane entrance, where they were hiding in front of an ATM operated by Corporation Bank.
Following their murder of police officers and personnel, the terrorists commandeered a Qualis and headed for Metro Junction, where they shot and killed Police Constable Arun Chitte.
At last, they left the Qualis close to the Mantralaya.
Here, they took over a car and headed for Chowpatty, but ASI Tukaram Omble and others stopped them, killing Abu Ismail and taking Kasab into custody.
Omble perished in the battle that resulted in Kasab’s capture as well.
