'26/11 was my most challenging night'

This is the first in our series on the Mumbai 26/11 Terror Attack Anniversary Special. 

"It was the most challenging night and I just did my duty. On 26/11, our principal weapon in the fight was courage," recalls Sadanand Date, additional commissioner of Mumbai police.


For Sadanand Date, the night of 26/11 was the most challenging night of his life. This soft-spoken, honest, efficient and no-nonsense police officer, was one of those who was grievously injured in the fight – and lived on. But Date, an Additional Commissioner of Police, generally is a media-shy person.

Date was one of those officers who deposed as a witness before Additional Sessions Judge M L Tahaliyani, who is conducting the trial of November 26-29, 2008 Mumbai terror attack. This time, he spoke in detail of what happened that night.

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In a magazine ‘Protector’, which is an initiative of Mumbai police, released recently, he narrated the sequence of events.

“I would not call it horrifying, it was the most challenging night of Mumbai Police,” says Date, about his encounter with Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail at the Cama and Albless Hospital located near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

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Date was engaged in a direct battle with Kasab-Ismail duo for nearly 40 minutes.

Date, who withstood a grenade attack recalls: “It was the most challenging night and I just did my duty. On 26/11, our principal weapon in the fight was courage, which was displayed by the rank and file as well as the leadership. That weapon is with us, in addition to other weapons.”

On reaching the Cama Hospital along with a few policemen, they sensed that the terrorists were at the terrace of the building.

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After reaching the sixth floor, his intuition took over. “I wanted to test the place. Fortunately some construction activity was going on in the sixth floor and we found metal clips which were used for fixing electrical wires and pipes. We took a bunch of those clips and went to the terrace door and threw some towards the terrace. Soon after that we received a burst from the terrace. We realized that the danger was in the terrace.”

Thereafter, when the terrorist started moving down from the terrace – a fierce fight took place.

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 “Subsequently, they lobbed grenades,” Date said.

In the battle that followed, a few splinters injured his eye. Taking cover behind a wall, Date saw two persons climbing down the stairs and taking a revolver from one of the unconscious police officials fired two rounds at them. However, because of his injuries he could not chase them.

"I will never forget that night," Date recalls.




 

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