Two railway cops honoured for gallantry on 26/11

MUMBAI - Two Railway Protection Force men, who braved the bullets during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, have been named for the President’s Police Medal for gallantry on the eve of Republic Day.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) Inspector Sandip Dadaji Khiratkar and Sub-Inspector Vasant Bhosale, both attached with the Central Railway, prevented Pakistani gunmen Mohmmed Ajmal Amir Kasab and Abu Ismail from escaping the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) by constantly firing at the subway exit.

The terrorists carried out a brutal massacre near the main entrance of the CST, which they entered from the suburban railway side, and were planning to escape from the sub-way which branches out on the opposite side of the road towards the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, the Capitol Cinema and the Times of India Building.

Khiratkar and Bhosale, posted outside the main heritage wing of the CST, opened fire at Kasab and Ismail, forcing them to change their escape plans at the last moment.

The CCTV footage shown before the Special Court shows Kasab and Ismail attempting to exit the CST by entering the subway at 10.09 p.m. and retreating into the CST building at 10.16 p.m.

On re-entering the CST, the terrorists moved towards Platform No. 1 from the south-end and rushed towards the north-end by taking cover of the pillars. Then they took the overbridge to come down to the narrow lane between the Times of India builidng and the Anjum-e-Islam, from where they barged into the Cama & Albless Hospital’s rear gate.

This was where three top officers of Mumbai police - Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar - lost their lives that night.

Besides Khiratkar and Bhosale, 38 other police officers of Maharashtra were chosen for various honours by President Pratibha Patil on the Republic Day.