Quick police action could have saved lives at Cama: Judge Tahaliyani

Early arrival of the police at Cama Hospital, where additional commissioner of police Sadanand Date and his team fought two of the 26/11 terrorists, could have seen events take a different turn, the special court observed today while delivering its verdict in the Mumbai attack case.

"Had the police reached in time to provide help to additional commissioner of police Sadanand Date, who fought a pitched battle with terrorists with his team at Cama hospital, the result would have been different... there has been some delay," judge ML Tahaliyani said.

Terrorists killed seven persons and injured another 10 in Cama Hospital while they shot dead nine persons and injured seven outside the hospital.

Tahaliyani disagreed with the prosecution's case that the two terrorists — Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab and Abu Ismail — had planned to go to Malabar Hill after striking terror at Cama Hospital and Metro junction.

"The entire theory about a hand-drawn map seized from the trousers of slain terrorist Abu Ismail does not fit here," he said.

According to the police, the map showed the route towards Malabar Hill and was recovered from Ismail when he was shot dead at Girgaum Chowpatty.

Tahaliyani said that in his opinion the two terrorists were to stay put at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus but owing to some mistake they crossed the foot overbridge outside CST and came to Cama Hospital.