It could have been...
A police official said that the main control room was not aware that the police commissioner had asked Kamte to report at the Oberoi. In fact, the wireless log suggested that around 11.11 pm, Kamte called up the main control and asked them to find out from Gafoor where he was expected to report. The control room tried to contact Gafoor, but there was no response.
Then, around 11.22 pm, while approaching the General Post Office (GPO), Kamte got in touch with the control again, seekingfurther orders. Around the same time, Sadanand Date’s wireless operator got in touch with the control. He said that heavy firing was on at the Cama, and requested for immediate backup.
It was, perhaps, because of this urgent request that Kamte, who was nearby, was told to rush to the hospital.
Maria ‘lied’ to Gafoor
Gafoor [CP] calling Maria [M] on the wireless set:
12.45 am: CP: What are the locations of Mr Karkare and Kamte? And what is the situation about Central region (Sadanand Date)?
M: Sir… sir central region [Date] … is in Cama Hospital sir… and Ashok (Kamte) is near the SB office. He is covering the SB office, sir.
[Note: Calls to control rooms showed that the news of Kamte, Karkare and Salaskar being injured in gun-battle came in at 12.25, 12.33 and 12.49 am]
CP: What about Mr Karkare?
M: Sir… sir… he.. he.. he.. Hemant [Karkare] was, sir, at CST railway station, sir. I will find out the location and tell him to get in touch with you right away, sir.
[Note: The control room call logs showed that Karkare had given his location at the Cama at 11.24, 11.27, 11.28 and 11.58 pm]
CP: I only want to know whether Mr Karkare and Kamte are injured, or are they safe? And similarly has central region (Date) got any medical aid, and similarly all other injured been provided with medical aid?
M: Sir, trying to do that, sir. Sir, as for the report… that there was firing on east region (Kamte’s) vehicle, [but] nobody is injured sir. Central region I am not
able to get through [sic]. As soon as I get through,
I will get back to you.
CP: You will send a party to rescue them.
M: Already done, sir.. Already done, sir. Additional CP (crime) and three units of the crime branch are on the job, sir.
CP: Noted.
The book alleges
Maria knew that Karkare, Kamte and Date were injured, but did not inform Gafoor about it. He did not tell the commissioner that Karkare had been injured near the Cama. Instead, he told him that Karkare was at the CST. Maria also told Gafoor that he had sent Deven Bharti to help Date. But Bharti never reached the hospital.
It could have been...
According to the control room, it was around 12.45 am they first came to know that Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar were injured, and were being taken to hospital. Before that, there had been no communication from anyone regarding the events at the Cama. Around 12.35 am, the control room tried to get in touch with Kamte on his walkie-talkie, but failed to get through. It was later known that Kamte’s wireless operator was with him, Karkare and Salaskar in the ill-fated police vehicle.
Also, since both Date and his wireless operator were injured in the gun-battle at the hospital, the news of the two terrorists [Ajmal Amir Kasab and Abu Ismail] leaving the hospital was not immediately relayed to the control room.
However, it is difficult to explain why Gafoor was misinformed by Maria about the locations of Karkare, Kamte and Date by Maria.
Where was the backup?
The book alleges that in spite of repeated requests by senior officials out on the field, reinforcements were not provided to them.
It could have been...
Senior officials who were present in the control room that night, and who spoke to DNA on conditions of anonymity, said that immediately after the attacks began, all available forces in South and Central Mumbai were diverted to the targeted areas. However, following the two bomb blasts in taxis — at Vile Parle and Wadi Bunder — it was suspected that other parts of the city might come under attack as well. “So, it was decided not to move the entire police force to South Mumbai. If any place in North or East Mumbai had been attacked, there would have been no cops to tackle the situation there,” the officer said.
Where was Deven Bharti?
The book alleges that additional commissioner of police [crime] Deven Bharti was sent out to help Sadanand Date, who had been injured in the Cama hospital gun-battle. But he never reached the hospital.
It could have been...
A crime branch officer said that Bharti had rushed towards Cama Hospital on hearing the news of it being attacked. A strategic decision was taken that since the terrorists were believed to be on the hospital terrace, Bharti, along with a handful of cops, would get on to the terrace of the adjacentAnjuman Islam High School and engage the fidayeen in a gun-battle. Bharti and his team did get on to the terrace of the school. They also saw some people moving on the hospital terrace. “However, it was too dark for us to make out whether they were terrorists or hospital staff or citizens,” said a policeman who was on Bharti’s team.
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