Sarkozy to pay homage to 26/11 victims in Mumbai

Sarkozy will arrive from New Delhi in the morning and will first pay a visit to the Police Memorial on Marine Drive, dedicated to security men killed in fighting terrorists during the attacks in November 2008, official sources said.

The French President will take part in a special memorial service to be held at the Trident-Oberoi Hotel, another site which was attacked by the Pakistani terrorists, where he is also expected to make a speech.

As many as 166 people were killed by ten terrorists who stormed south Mumbai on November 26, 2008, targeting a pub, two luxury hotels, the country's oldest and biggest railway terminus, a Jewish centre and a hospital for women and children, among others. It took over 58 hours for the security forces to flush out the militants.

United States President Barack Obama had also paid homage to the victims of the attacks during his visit in October.

The final programme in Sarkozy's Mumbai itinerary will be an address to business leaders jointly organised by industry bodies CII and FICCI. The event will be attended by Indian and French business leaders.

The event will be held at the Hotel Taj Mahal Palace, another site of the attacks, and will be preceded by the signing of an agreement between CII and France's The Movement Des Enterprises De France International for extending trade relations, a CII executive said.

HDFC Bank Chairman Deepak Parekh will be honoured with the French Award 'Knight in the order of Legion d' Honneur' by the French minister for economy and finance, CII said.

Sarkozy is scheduled to fly back to France after the one-hour meeting with business leaders, though it was not clear if there will be any definite agreements signed during the meet.