Chef dies a hero’s death

Twenty-seven-year-old Zahin Mateen died a hero's death on Wednesday night.
Mateen, a chef at Taj Mahal Hotel, put the safety of his guests before his. Unfortunately, the braveheart was shot dead by terrorists holed up inside the 5-star hotel.

Mateen, a resident of Cuffe Parade, suffered two bullet injuries from the rear - one in his skull and the other on his spine.

Friends and colleagues of Mateen said that he was escorting the guests to a safe spot on the first floor. However, when he realised that he was in serious danger, he called his friends who were in the basement to come upstairs and rescue him. But no one came. "It was impossible for anyone to do anything," a colleague recalled.

"If any staff member would have ventured to help him, they also would have been shot dead," he added.

"Even the police officials could not go upstairs to help him since they were busy battling the terrorists in other parts of the hotel," said a terror-stricken member of the hotel staff.
"This is a time of mourning for us. Please do not ask us any more questions. Our minds are totally numb right now," said one of Mateen's colleagues, who were holed up in the basement of the hotel till 5 am on Thursday.

Recounting the incident, another colleague of Mateen told DNA: "We were all busy working when we suddenly heard loud bangs right outside the kitchen. "As soon as I opened the door, I saw a terrorist with a gun. Before I could comprehend the whole situation, he shot a foreigner guest in front of my eyes. I immediately rushed inside the kitchen and cautioned the people inside."

Once the gun-wielding terrorist retreated from the kitchen door, the hotel authorities instructed their staff to divide into three teams and escort the guests to safety. "Mateen was in one such team and died doing his duty," said another colleague.