26/11 hero Hemant Bavdhankar recalls attack day, says Tahawwur Rana’s extradition significant

New Delhi: Retired Mumbai Police Inspector Hemant Bavdhankar, who, along with his team, took on the 26/11 terror attack accused and caught Kasab, has welcomed the extradition of Tahawwur Rana from the US, saying it is India’s significant achievement and congratulated the NIA for the feat.

Talking to IANS, Bavdhankar said, “For Rana’s extradition, we presented our case in the US Supreme Court, and the court accepted it. We made our case, after which the court handed Rana over to us.”

“Every Indian will want that Rana be tried in the court here and given the strictest punishment.. This will fulfill the wish of every Indian, and their wish is that he should be tried in an Indian court and get strict punishment …” he further said.

Hitting out at Pakistan, Bavdhankar said, “The 26/11 Mumbai attacks left Pakistan exposed. Pakistan, through LeT and ISI, carried out the attack. I hope the other accused of the attack will be punished.”

Remembering the unfateful day of 26/11, he shared how, along with his 15 colleagues, Tukaram Omble and Bhaskar Kadam, he fought the terrorists.

Recalling the sequence of events, he said, “I was on the front with Bhaskar Kadam. When we asked the accused to surrender, they shot at us, and was retaliated. I shot at Abu Ismail. Kasab deboarded from the car, after which Tukaram Omble, who was positioned behind the barricade, came out to catch hold of Kasab. Kasab fired indiscriminately with his AK-47 at Tukaram Omble, but despite that, he didn’t loosen his grip on Kasab.”

Pointing out the sacrifice of Omble, he said: “If Omble had loosened the grip over Kasab, we all would have got martyred.”

On his retirement as just a senior Police Inspector and not getting a one-step promotion as promised by the then MVA government to heroes of the terror attack, Bavdhankar said it is not important; what is necessary is congratulating the NIA team.

A high-level interrogation team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will question Tahawwur Rana, the key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, soon after he arrives in India.

IANS