'How Karkare, five other cops were killed'

It was a sudden decision of the three deceased police officers -- Anti-Terrorists Squad chief Hemant Karkare, Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte and Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar to go from the front side of Cama Hospital entrance and finally got killed along with three other colleagues, by terrorists in an ambush, Ram Pradhan Commission report has said by quoting an eyewitness.

The commission probed the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. It was purely a sudden decision of the three deceased police officers to go from the front side of Cama hospital entrance, and obviously not knowing that by the time terrorists had left Cama, and were in the same lane facing the terrorists from opposite direction, the commission recorded the eye witness account of lone survivor constable Arun Jadhav.

The three deceased officers, after learning through wireless that their colleague Additional Commissioner of Police Sadanand Date sustained injuries, decided to enter the lane leading to Rang Bhawan with an intention to enter the Cama hospital from the front gate.

The trio had left their vehicles near Chattrapatti Shivaji Terminus railway station and took over a Qualis in which Assistant Commissioner of Police Pydhonie Shantilal Bhambre had arrived.

Accompanied by ASI driver Balasaheb Bhosale, PC Jaywant Patil and PC operator Yogesh Patil, without conveying anything to him (Bhambre), drove towards Mahapalika Marg via Tayyabji Marg and Rang Bhawan.

Jadhav and Jayawant Patil also joined them and thus they faced terrorists who were moving on the same lane from opposite direction.

In the subsequent exchange of fire, the officers' trio and the three policemen were killed. Jadhav, the lone survivor corroborated that the decision to go by Qualis to intercept the terrorists from the opposite direction from the front side of Cama Hospital entrance was sudden.

They did not know that terrorists will use the same lane. Within a few metres of their entrance in the same lane, they were ambushed by the terrorists who were hiding in front of Corporation Bank ATM.

The terrorists, after killing the policemen and officers, took over the Qualis, drove towards Metro Junction, firing and killing police constable Arun Chittee.

Finally they abandoned the Qualis near the Council Hall, the commission recorded.